Everton cannot be serious about chasing after Liam Delap again?

He's been rubbish for Chelsea since he chose them instead of Everton last summer. So why on earth would Everton be interested in taking a run at him again?

Well, neither Beto nor Barry, despite their somewhat surprising combined total of goals last season, seem to be what Everton need as a focal point up top. But honestly, can that role be executed any better by Liam Delap?

If his recent stint in West London is anything to go by, the answer is a resounding "probably not". After triggering his £30M relegation release clause from Ipswich Town last summer, Chelsea have seen a thoroughly miserable return on their investment. Delap managed just a single Premier League goal in 28 appearances this past season, looking entirely out of his depth in a chaotic, bloated setup at Stamford Bridge.

Yet, the rumour mill grinds on. Contemporary reports suggest that David Moyes is still keen on the 23-year-old. Moyes took the unusual step of publicly courting the striker last summer before Delap had his head turned by the promise of Champions League football under his former Man City youth coach, Enzo Maresca. With Moyes seemingly looking to ease the goalscoring burden on Beto at the Hill Dickinson Stadium next season, it appears Everton might be willing to offer Delap an escape route.

The finances of such a deal, however, are enough to make you wince. Despite his dismal form, the hierarchy at Chelsea are reportedly looking to turn a profit, floating a comical £40M asking price — though they would likely settle for recouping their initial £30M outlay.

Given Everton's ongoing balancing act with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and keeping our Squad Cost Ratios (SCR) in check, shelling out that kind of money for a player who just spent 9 months looking like a flat-track Championship bully feels incredibly reckless.

Everton aren't the only ones supposedly kicking the tyres. Fulham are reportedly considering a move, while Newcastle United and his former club Ipswich Town — who are keen to "bring him home" following their quick promotion back to the top flight — are also heavily in the mix.

Former striker Kevin Phillips recently chimed in on the prospect, warning that Delap needs guaranteed, week-in, week-out starts to rebuild his confidence — something he isn't strictly guaranteed on Merseyside if he has to compete with Beto and Thierno Barry for minutes.

If Chelsea are truly holding out for a premium fee to save face on a poor transfer, this is a saga we should be happy to watch unfold from a distance. We need a reliable focal point up top... not an expensive rehabilitation project.

Reader Comments (43)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

Gavin Johnson 2 Posted 27/06/2026 at 15:16:09

The craziest thing about Delap is that Chelsea now expect to make a £10M profit (according to reports) after a truly abject season.

I still rate him if we got the Ipswich version. I wouldn't advocate paying more than the £30M Chelsea paid though.

Kevin Molloy 3 Posted 27/06/2026 at 15:36:39

The £30M was set by Delap, Chelsea got him at an artificially low price (much to Ipswich's irritation). I'd take him, even at £40M.

I think he could be excellent if handled right. Reminds me of yorkie Alan Smith, a nightmare for a centre-back.

Mick Springstein 4 Posted 27/06/2026 at 15:36:56

Fans don't get to pick. Internal discussions obviously occurred about him before Chelsea lured him in.

If he fits Moyes's plans going forward, then I'm sure he will get more out of him than Chelsea managed to. Was he even happy at Chelsea? Debatable.

Do players play to their strengths when they are unhappy? I think time and time again we see resurgencies in players, Ndiaye being one, Dewsbury-Hall being another who just need that encouragement.

At Chelsea (and we all knew it), it's dog eat dog and basically a player conveyor belt. We aren't buying anyone for £40M outright so it's bargain basement time again and he's one of the better options.

Christy Ring 5 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:03:53

I don't rate Delap. He started 12 Premier League games, and 16 off the bench for Chelsea, and scored 1 Premier League goal.

Why would we buy him going on those stats? And he has a very poor disciplinary record, his last yellow was for breaking Spence's jaw!

Mike Gaynes 6 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:19:06

At this point, the Delap talk is just clickbait from the shady likes of Football Insider and TeamTalk.

No reputable publication or journalist has reported that Everton are pursuing the player.

Jim Bennings 7 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:19:21

I'm on the fence with Delap.

I wouldn't want to pay money for him, I'd loan him, see what his fitness record was like, what his performance was like and whether he was any good, and then I'd decide this time next year what I'd do with him.

To pay big money on him knowing he could flop like most of our other striker buys, would just be so Everton.

I'd say he reminds me a bit of James Beattie but I actually thought Beattie was a better striker, his record and variety of goals before he came to us was wide and far, Southampton got the best out of him, at Everton I don't think Moyes did him too many favours.

Alan J Thompson 8 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:19:43

Offer Chelsea £30M for Delap and George and if they accept then take the offer for Barry, or possibly Iroegbunam who I'd prefer to keep.

A bit of horse trading for the Transfer Committee to consider.

Anthony O'Sullivan 9 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:21:50

He scored less goals than Beto or Barry at a team that has better creative players supplying him with chances.

If it was a 50% off deal then £15M might make me look again. But I'd still prefer Troy Parrott or Evan Ferguson. More natural goal scorers.

Jimmy Hardacre 10 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:28:51

Well, it’s about par for the course with soft lad Moyes.

He did not want to come to us… what makes you think, after crashing and burning at Chelsea, he could do better with us?

We already have two useless strikers up front so why not add another there? Moyes… and you can tell everyone it’s our budget and you are great so it will be fine.

Is a joke — and not a funny one. Fuck this pretender right off!

Mike Gaynes 11 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:46:34

Anthony #9, agree with you on Parrott -- the Portugal and Hungary games showed the world his insane drive to score. I think he'd be love at first sight for Everton fans.

But Ferguson is out long-term after ankle surgery.

Joe McMahon 12 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:55:59

100% Everton type of striker: Immobile, slow and non scoring.

Hitting long balls to the isolated lump up top. The School of Science continues, year on year.

Andrew Grey 13 Posted 27/06/2026 at 17:01:56

Hamstring injury, dislocated shoulder, 12 starts, 16 off the bench.

He's rubbish. Sign him immediately.

Andrew Grey 14 Posted 27/06/2026 at 17:05:47

A couple of injuries hampered his progress at Chelsea, only made 12 starts so with a run of games he could score buckets for us. Sign him up now.

He could go either way in all fairness… If the price is right, he could be worth a gamble.

Martin Berry 15 Posted 27/06/2026 at 17:17:06

At the proposed price not a chance, the only way he will be coming to Everton is on loan.

Obviously Delap is going somewhere as Chelsea don't want him so who will take him? Certainly no one at the price quoted.

Interesting to see how this one pans out.

Sean Kearns 16 Posted 27/06/2026 at 19:26:53

After what we've had to watch last season, who could be so critical of Delap before he's even signed?! We need anyone else… the lad is good and wasn't getting time at Chelsea.

Also, I like the fact that we field a mostly English or British team some weeks and he keeps that going. Rather him than some foreign get stealing a living (eg, Barry)…

And who is to say he would be the only one? Or be our only option? Sign him up and keep looking.

Mark Steers 17 Posted 27/06/2026 at 20:09:41

Probably the worst transfer choice. I wouldn't have him on a free, he is just a thug. Everton have many more issues and getting Delap would put us even more in the gutter.

Please buy a top right-back, we've been waiting 5 years to sort this position out. And some quality on the right wing because I can see Moyes using Rohl there, just like he did with O'Brien, and that will turn out a disaster.

Someone stand up and help our club out.

Kevin Molloy 18 Posted 27/06/2026 at 20:31:16

Poeple have a go at Everton for their transfer dealings but we got £12M off Atalanta for Ben Godfrey. They can't give him away now.

If we hadn't originally bought him for £25M, that would have been a smart piece of business.

Alastair Donaldson 19 Posted 27/06/2026 at 20:45:00

No thanks! The only excuse he has at Chelsea is their recent chaos and not one striker has been successful there since Drogba. But he's not good enough.

Jackson, if you insist on a Chelsea player, some edge and more of a weapon, plus a good hookup if Ndiaye stays.

Adrian Phillips 20 Posted 27/06/2026 at 20:59:15

Do Everton see something that they can get the Ipswich Delap not the Chelsea version?

There are lots of clubs in the mix which suggests they feel that they can re-ignite the Ipswich player.

Ian Bennett 21 Posted 27/06/2026 at 21:09:07

I think we need a different type of striker, but I also think Delap will perform away from Chelsea.

Dewsbury-Hall couldn't get a sniff there, but has done well at Everton.

Dave Trickey 22 Posted 27/06/2026 at 21:21:34

I think the reaction to Delap is running ahead of reality. He's a much better fit for our system than he ever was for Chelsea — the way we play suits his movement, his aggression, and the way he links play. The real risk isn't the player, it's negativity from the stands before he's even kicked a ball.

If we recruit well and improve the quality and quantity of chances, both Barry and Delap will score more than they did last season. That's when you get genuine competition for the No 9 spot, which is exactly what we've been missing.

Si Cooper 23 Posted 27/06/2026 at 21:43:49

I think plenty of young players on the back of a good 2024-25 season would find Chelsea more tempting than Everton so I can't hold that against him.

Again, though, he's a player I haven't studied in particular so I can't say whether his difficult time at Chelsea was just a straightforward and forgivable misstep or valuable performance data to be used to give an overall assessment.

Right money and you'd hope he'd be an upgrade with new-found humility and a lot to prove. Problem with a loan could be we get the player back on track and he gets another more attractive offer for the longer term.

Annika Herbert 24 Posted 27/06/2026 at 22:58:40

A much better fit for our system? I didn't know we had a particular system.

Most of the season it looked like snatch a goal on the break,followed by defending for our lives.

Will Delap improve by watching long hoofs forward passing overhead? I seriously doubt it.

Ian Pilkington 25 Posted 27/06/2026 at 23:44:08

If true, which I desperately hope not, it would be a perfect example of the futility of retaining Moyes for another season

Malcolm Kitchen 26 Posted 28/06/2026 at 01:39:39

I've said recently Everton are stupid, sounds childish, But then I read today Everton in for Delap again! Someone needs to scream in Moyes deaf ears, are you fkn stupid? He's a donkey, a real thug and doesn't score goals. 2 in 41 games for Chelsea, I saw them play 6/7 times last season and Delap was truly awful. Avoid like the plague!!!

Bob Parrington 27 Posted 28/06/2026 at 01:39:49

Alan @ 8 - Now that would be a great deal!

Craig Walker 28 Posted 28/06/2026 at 04:48:29

What do our scouts do? They can’t seem to look at anything other than premier league cast-offs and has-beens.

Adrian Phillips 29 Posted 28/06/2026 at 04:54:50

Last season ,this same fanbase were urging Everton to get Delap. There are not many strikers around and few under £70M, so if he can regain his Ipswich form?

But no doubt our fan base will be criticizing Moyes whoever he gets, for not getting Toney, despite him being under contract in Saudi and not available. Presumably these same fans will also all chip in for wages equivalent to £1M a week adjusting for tax.

Laurie Hartley 30 Posted 28/06/2026 at 06:40:48

I would rather have Gabriel Jesus for £20M (provided I don't have to pay).

Yes, he is 29 and has had a few injuries but he is class. Sell Barry and rotate him with Beto.

Mark McDonald 31 Posted 28/06/2026 at 07:00:50

If it's a choice between Delap or Parrott, I would opt for Parrott.

Surely we are not going into a new season with Beto and Barry!

Paul Griffiths 32 Posted 28/06/2026 at 07:35:34

Everton are in pole position to sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap as they work towards agreeing personal terms for the 23-year-old Englishman. (Football Insider)

Annika Herbert 33 Posted 28/06/2026 at 07:42:48

Adrian @ 29 -- and no doubt the same fans who defend Moyes every move will be out in force praising his every move.

Maybe those very fan boys would like to chip in for the wages payment?

Adrian Phillips 34 Posted 28/06/2026 at 08:54:19

Funny isn't it. Everton tried to buy him a year back, and everyone was excited. Now nobody is.

Newcastle tried to buy him a year ago. Everyone was excited. But still they are urging Newcastle to get him. Different perceptions!

Have we become miserable pessimists supporting Everton?

Mark Steers 35 Posted 28/06/2026 at 09:33:18

Beto got 9 Premier League goals, worked his socks off with limited service. Barry got 8 Premier League goals, played half the season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin got 9 Premier League goals, not counting penalties, yet everyone says he was amazing... don't make me laugh!!

Concentrate on getting these two lads better service and they will probably both get 15 each.

David West 36 Posted 28/06/2026 at 09:46:27

Think he's still young, playing for Chelsea is a different game to Ipswich, don't think he's our answer, will he get more than Barry or Beto? Probably at the same level.

Moyes probably likes his physicality, but what we need is pace and a clinical finisher, not another battering ram!

Nicholas Jackson is a quicker, more dangerous, run-in-behind-and-stretch-the-defence type who'd make much more of a difference, I'd say!

Mike Powell 37 Posted 28/06/2026 at 10:11:24

Stay well clear -- he is a donkey. £30M? I wouldn't pay £30.

I'd rather keep the two donkeys we have already.

Brian Harrison 38 Posted 28/06/2026 at 10:13:34

With the transfer window now open, there will always be speculation about the movement of players. Much of the speculation is fuelled by agents telling journalists about possible movements for their clients.

The job of an agent is to get an unhappy player a move. So, in the case of Delap, he and his agent will know that the possibility of him being the main striker at Chelsea is over.

Delap has had a poor season so he was on Everton's radar last season so let's all assume they might return for him, and so, once it's rumoured in the press, in some people's mind, it's a done deal. Harry Wilson, we were told, was one of Moyes's main targets and, lo and behold, he has signed for Leeds!

So I say, when you see speculation about Everton being interested in a player, just take it with a pinch of salt and believe it when he signs and he is pictured wearing the kit.

Tony Abrahams 39 Posted 28/06/2026 at 10:29:04

My own view is that Moyes will have wanted to sign Wilson, Brian, but people inside the club will not have been prepared to sanction his reported wages.

I just get a feeling that the people behind the scenes are not aligned when it comes to the recruitment of players. It's not as if Moyes will be able to use European football as an excuse for not getting players in this summer -- not that I believed him when he said this was one of our main problems last summer.

Hopefully we get some pleasant surprises in the next few weeks; otherwise, there is going to be so much negativity around a club that should really be full of positivity going into the new season.

Another thought has just crossed my mind about agents, after reading that Clarke has resigned from his post in Scotland.

Adrian Phillips 40 Posted 28/06/2026 at 10:42:35

It's curious that last season, Newcastle and Everton fans were both clamouring for Delap. Delap went to Chelsea.

Everton fans are now hyperventilating, shouting "Steer clear of Delap!" Newcastle fans getting excited and urging owners to buy Delap. Who is right?

Brian Harrison 41 Posted 28/06/2026 at 11:07:44

Tony

I absolutely agree with you when you say that TFG are not aligned with Moyes regarding the recruitment of players. And we know that there is only one winner in that argument.

I think quite obviously there were signings last year that weren't supported by the manager. It's obvious that TFG want to buy young and hopefully develop them, whereas Moyes wanted more tried and tested Premier League players.

I think Iriola would have been the perfect fit for an owner who wanted to buy and develop young players, but that ship has sadly sailed. I am far from convinced about TFG; I think they seem more interested in making money from non-footballing events at the stadium, well at least for the moment.

I had hoped that, coming back, Moyes would be more adventurous than last time... but that doesnt seem to have been the case.

Iain Johnston 42 Posted 28/06/2026 at 13:38:19

Yes, we all know we need a 'reliable focal point up top', it's glaringly obvious to anyone other than Mr Magoo.

The problem I have is that many, many fans seem to think we have the money to spend on a single forward who would make such a difference whilst not commanding a 6 figure weekly wage or a price tag closer to £60m.

A stuttering forward in his early 20's is what £30m - £40m gets you in todays market.

Jarrad Bowen has a £20m release clause but he's 29 and is currently on £150k per week which won't be reduced due to relegation.

He's far more consistant and we'd get 3/4 years out of him but I doubt anyone in Toyota Towers will pay the wage.

Timothy Sebastian 43 Posted 28/06/2026 at 16:00:34

A few here advocating for Jackson. I would steer clear. Seen him in a number of Chelsea games, and more recently in the World Cup. He always seems to be offside, which is really frustrating. Never seems to get his timing right. Other times, he's just plain lazy not running back on side in time. I'd prefer Parrot.