Liam Delap to Nottingham Forest for £50m as Chelsea open Nicolas Jackson talks with Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest agreed on 25 August 2026 to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea in a deal worth £50m, with Forest paying a club-record £45m plus £5m in add-ons, while Chelsea have opened negotiations to sell Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa as the transfer window nears its close.

Xabi Alonso has selected João Pedro and Danny Welbeck as his primary strikers this season, leaving other Chelsea forwards, including Delap, to pursue moves elsewhere; Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich for £30m last summer, managed only one league goal last season and was hampered by injuries.

Forest were among several clubs linked with Delap and made him a priority for manager Oliver Glasner; the 23-year-old, a former Manchester City striker, will head to the City Ground with the opportunity to revive his career following a difficult season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have also begun talks over the future of Nicolas Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich and is valued by his parent club at £65m; Aston Villa view the Senegal international as a possible replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is expected to join Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

The clubs remain apart on structure: Chelsea will not agree to another loan for Jackson and want his valuation met, while Villa are likely to seek a favourable payment schedule to make a permanent deal viable; Atlético Madrid have also registered interest in the 25-year-old.

Jackson joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023, and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery previously worked with him during their time together at Villarreal.

West Ham’s clear-out since relegation is expected to continue: El Hadji Malick Diouf is likely to join Brentford for about £35m, with talks ongoing over the left-back and an agreement considered probable; Diouf was left out of the squad when Nuno Espírito Santo’s side lost 2-1 at home to Charlton last Saturday, having joined West Ham from Slavia Prague for £19m last year, while Brentford have already completed four signings and plan further additions.

Additional moves reported include Torino having a bid rejected for Soungoutou Magassa, who is on Crystal Palace’s shortlist, Marseille being linked with Jean-Clair Todibo, and West Ham raising funds through sales of Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and Freddie Potts; West Ham have also loaned Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Aston Villa and Niclas Füllkrug to Werder Bremen, and Mexico midfielder Edson Álvarez has not featured in the club’s first two league matches amid interest from Olympiakos and Real Sociedad.

Chelsea are prioritising outgoing transfers as the window prepares to close next Tuesday.