Liam Delap in an Everton shirt
Liam Delap in an Everton shirt
Should Everton wish to really start competing for European football in the Premier League, then finding their goalscorer of the future is key.
Delap could be that player, with the Chelsea striker being heavily linked with a big-money move to Hill Dickinson Stadium throughout the window so far.
His signature would be a major gamble though, as he netted just three times in 49 appearances for the Blues in 2025-26, but the 23-year-old has long been tipped to for future stardom at both club and international level.
This summer's transfer window shuts on 1 September at 11pm, and Evertonians may have to wait right up until that deadline to see him make a move to Merseyside.
If that was to be the case, this would see the Toffees set a new club-record for a transfer fee spent on a striker, with the £35m splashed on Richarlison currently wearing that crown.
However, and depending on what kind of deal Everton want to do, they may not have to pay a single penny to land Delap's services this summer.
La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Delap's name is one to watch for Juventus as the window progresses, with Xabi Alonso needing to trim down his large squad and the striker being destined to leave Stamford Bridge.
In a follow-up piece to that, Italian outlet Football Italia have detailed that claim, but have also gone a step further with their own assessment on his situation.
They claim that Delap could come the loan market towards the end of the summer window, with Chelsea perhaps keen to send him somewhere for 2026-27 at least in whichever way they can.
But why might a loan deal be a more sensible approach for Everton to take with Delap if possible?
Everton could negotiate cheaper permanent deal for Delap
It's very common for loan deals to have either an obligation or options to purchase the player upon the conclusion of the temporary agreement.
This is often done for two main reasons: One, so that the club getting the player can make a more informed decision before deciding whether to purchase or not, or two, so that they can try and line up a future permanent deal for a reduced fee.
If the selling club is having a hard time finding a dance partner to do permanent business with, then compromising with an initial loan deal with a slightly reduced transfer fee at the end of it can be a very tempting and worthwhile arrangement.
So, Chelsea's asking price may well be £40m for Delap, but if no team wants to pay that right now, then Everton could bide their time, before presenting a loan offer to the Blues late in the window, perhaps along the lines of a season-long loan with a £30-35m obligation.
That might not sound like a huge discount, but even getting him for £5-10m cheaper would see a reduction of 15 to 25 per cent.
It would also take the pressure of Delap to instantly hit the ground running too, as his debut season could almost be seen as a free hit for him, and that might help him to settle in and relax more, and thus find his shooting boots more consistently for the Toffees.