Chelsea to let Liam Delap leave Stamford Bridge 14 months after signing
Liam Delap is being allowed to leave Chelsea 14 months after moving to Stamford Bridge, according to reports on 21 August 2026, having made his Premier League debut for the club at this stage last year after his £30m release clause was triggered following a move from Ipswich Town.
Chelsea secured Delap ahead of competition from Manchester United, Newcastle and Everton, but after scoring only once in the league last season he has been judged surplus to requirements and sources say interest has been limited because the club's £50m asking price is viewed as too high.
The club has, however, shown a willingness to negotiate later in the transfer window, and Chelsea are expected to retain three other strikers next season: Joao Pedro, Emmanuel Emegha and new signing Danny Welbeck. Delap lost the number nine shirt to Joao Pedro, who largely excelled at his expense after joining from Brighton in the same transfer window.
Those close to Delap say he hoped to remain at Chelsea and prove himself; he accepts his form last season fell below expectations but there were mitigating factors. Chelsea finished 10th, Delap worked under three different managers and he suffered hamstring and shoulder injuries that affected his physical style and contributed to a loss of confidence.
Delap has been moved into a group of around 12 players who train separately, albeit alongside new manager Xabi Alonso's first-team squad, at Chelsea's Cobham base. Alonso was preparing for his first competitive match at Fulham in the Premier League on Monday, and the club says the secondary group arrangement is designed to keep those players close to the first team.
Chelsea say the current approach, which uses the same gym, changing facilities and dining areas for the secondary group, reflects a period of reflection after last season's treatment of isolated players. The club previously used a so-called "bomb squad" that separated certain players from the first team, a practice that attracted public criticism from some players and a warning from the PFA and has since been outlawed by Fifa.
The need to reduce squad size is a driving factor in moves beyond Delap: Chelsea have around 40 players and want to trim nearer to a 25-man group for a season without European football. Defenders Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi are leaving on loan despite initial attempts to sell them permanently; Disasi, 28, has been given permission to travel for a medical with Crystal Palace amid ongoing loan negotiations, while Badiashile has undergone a medical at Napoli.
Other transfer activity includes Omari Kellyman and Deivid Washington nearing moves to partner club Strasbourg, with one loan place still available there and both Mykhailo Mudryk and Dario Essugo under consideration. Mamadou Sarr is expected to join another Premier League club on loan, Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo are in the secondary group alongside Delap, and Adarabioyo is attracting interest from Benfica, Marseille and Premier League clubs.
Interest has been shown in Delap from Nottingham Forest and Leeds, although sources say Daniel Farke's side have cooled theirs, and his priority is to secure regular first-team football either on loan or in a permanent move; where he will end up remains unclear. Chelsea will continue to manage a busy transfer window that also involves decisions over players such as Marc Guiu, David Datro Fofana, Caleb Wiley and the expected recall and loan of Kendry Paez from River Plate.
