Everton Eyeing Liam Delap's Premier League Future

Liam Delap’s name just will not leave Everton alone.

For years it has hovered around Goodison Park, a recurring subplot every time a transfer window opens. David Moyes has never hidden his admiration for the striker, and Everton’s interest first hardened when Ipswich were relegated two seasons ago. That flame has never really gone out.

Now the situation has shifted again. Xabi Alonso, installed at Chelsea, could be the man who finally opens the door.

Everton on alert as Delap weighs Premier League future

Everton are about to start another Premier League campaign with Thierno Barry and Beto as their main centre-forward options. There were flashes from both. The odd promising run. The occasional finish that hinted at more to come. But when the pressure spiked last season, neither produced often enough.

That is why Delap keeps circling back into the conversation.

According to The Chronicle’s print edition, Como’s interest in the Chelsea striker has stalled, with Delap understood to prefer staying in the Premier League. That stance has immediately put Everton on alert as the deadline creeps closer.

Chelsea, though, are not in the mood to hand out bargains. Stamford Bridge officials are still looking for a hefty profit, with any permanent deal believed to be potentially as high as £40 million.

For a player with just one Premier League goal, that is a brutal price point. In this market, it is hard to dress that up as value, and it is even harder to imagine Everton – or Newcastle, also linked – committing that kind of money.

So the clock ticks towards September 1, and the dynamic may change.

Loan route could keep long-running saga alive

As the window tightens, new possibilities tend to appear. The Chronicle reports that a loan deal for Delap, possibly with an option or even an obligation to buy, could come into play if Chelsea decide he has no role in Alonso’s plans.

That sort of structure would suit Everton perfectly. Barry and Beto look likely to stay, with no major push to move either on, but nor have they been publicly ring-fenced as untouchable. Adding Delap on a loan would deepen the forward pool without forcing Everton into a huge upfront gamble.

There is a catch. All three strikers share similar profiles: strong, physical, more about power than explosive pace in behind. It would give Everton a robust frontline, but not a particularly varied one.

Still, with just three days until the Premier League season kicks off, Delap’s future is edging towards a decision. Everton have circled this story for years. The question now is whether they finally step in and make him their man, or watch his name drift away from Goodison Park yet again.