Liam Delap's Future: Everton's Renewed Interest Amid Chelsea Uncertainty

Liam Delap just won’t leave Everton’s radar.

His name has circled Goodison Park for years, surviving managers, transfer windows and shifting priorities. David Moyes has never hidden his admiration for the striker, and Everton’s interest first sharpened when Ipswich were relegated two seasons ago. It never really cooled.

Now the story is back on. And this time Chelsea and Xabi Alonso are at the centre of it.

Chelsea door creaks open

Delap is currently at Stamford Bridge, but his future there looks anything but secure. Alonso could yet be the man who finally pushes that door open and lets him walk through it.

Everton, preparing for another Premier League campaign with Thierno Barry and Beto as their main centre-forward options, are watching closely. Both strikers showed flashes last season, hints of what they might become. But when it really mattered, neither delivered with the consistency Sean Dyche needs.

So Delap’s name returns. Again.

According to The Chronicle’s print edition, Como’s interest in the forward has stalled, with the player keen to remain in the Premier League. That stance has dragged Everton right back into the picture in the final stretch of the window, with the deadline on September 1 looming large.

The price problem

There is a catch. A big one.

Chelsea still want a hefty profit. Any permanent deal could cost up to £40 million. For a striker with just one Premier League goal to his name, that figure lands like a thud in the current market.

It’s hard to see Everton – or Newcastle, who have also been linked – going anywhere near that number for a player who has yet to prove himself at the top level over a sustained period.

But the closer the clock ticks towards deadline day, the more the landscape can change. Clubs get nervous. Plans shift. Demands soften.

And that’s where Everton might see an opening.

Loan route on the table

A loan move, with an option or even an obligation to buy, is being floated as a possible solution if Chelsea decide they simply want Delap out this summer. That kind of structure would suit Everton far more than a straight £40m outlay.

It would allow Dyche to add another striker to a squad where Barry and Beto are expected to stay put for now. Neither has been actively pushed towards the exit, yet neither has fully convinced that they can carry the goal burden alone.

Depth, then, becomes crucial.

The complication is profile. Barry, Beto and Delap all share similar traits: powerful, physical, more about strength and presence than raw pace in behind. Three variations of the same type of No 9 might not be the most balanced mix for a side that often struggles to stretch defences.

But Everton know the reality of their situation. Proven goals are expensive. Potential is slightly more attainable.

And with the season kicking off in just three days, Delap’s future – and Everton’s attacking plans – are about to collide with the unforgiving urgency of the deadline.