Liam Delap: Everton's Long-Standing Transfer Target

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

For years it has hovered over Goodison Park, a recurring subplot every time the club goes looking for goals. David Moyes has never tried to hide his admiration for the striker, and Everton’s interest first hardened when Ipswich were relegated two seasons ago. They wanted him then. They still want him now.

Chelsea door creaking open

Now Delap’s situation has taken another twist. Under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, the exit door could be about to swing open again.

Everton head into the new Premier League season with Thierno Barry and Beto as their main centre-forward options. There were flashes from both last term, the odd promising run or well-taken finish, but when it really mattered, neither produced consistently enough. The need for another option has not gone away. If anything, it has grown.

Delap, once again, sits right in the middle of that conversation.

According to The Chronicle’s print edition, Como’s interest in the Chelsea striker is not expected to progress because the player wants to stay in the Premier League. That stance has put Everton on alert as the window ticks towards its close.

The price problem

There is a catch. A big one.

Chelsea are still chasing a hefty profit and any permanent deal is understood to be worth up to £40 million. For a player with just one Premier League goal to his name, that figure jars badly with the reality of his top-flight record.

It makes a straight transfer at that price look highly unlikely for Everton. The same goes for Newcastle, who have also been linked. In this market, that outlay on a largely unproven Premier League striker simply does not add up.

But deadlines change everything.

As September 1 creeps closer and clubs reshuffle their squads, different kinds of deals tend to appear. Structures soften. Demands shift. That is where Everton could come back into play.

Loan route offers hope

The Chronicle reports that Everton could move for Delap on a loan deal, potentially with an option or even an obligation to buy, if Chelsea decide they want him out before the window shuts.

For Everton, that would be close to ideal.

Barry and Beto are expected to stay put for now. There has been interest in both, but neither has been formally pushed onto the market. Adding Delap on a loan would give Sean Dyche another body up front without blowing the budget on a permanent fee that looks out of step with the player’s output.

There is, though, a footballing question to answer.

Barry, Beto and Delap share similar traits. All three are powerful, physical strikers who prefer to battle centre-backs rather than spin in behind them with searing pace. That profile can be useful, especially in a side that leans on crosses and direct play, but stacking three of the same type carries risk. Variety often wins you games in tight Premier League battles.

Still, Everton know exactly what they are getting with Delap, and they have known it for years. The admiration has survived relegations, managerial changes elsewhere and a big-money move to Stamford Bridge.

Now, with the season just three days away and the window beginning its final sprint, the question is simple: will this be the summer when that long-running chase finally ends in blue – or does Delap’s name keep haunting Everton’s wish list for yet another year?