**The Liam Delap Chelsea future has become more complicated after ReadChelsea exclusively revealed that Everton are no longer in the race for the striker. Chelsea have maintained a firm valuation of Delap, and Everton cannot afford the price required to take him away from Stamford Bridge.**
That removes one of the clubs most consistently linked with the 23-year-old this summer.
[Everton manager David Moyes had been particularly interested in Delap](https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/08/06/premier-league/1267370-coventry-city-battle-everton-for-chelsea-striker-liam-delap.html), with talkSPORT reporting earlier this month that the striker was expected to leave Chelsea before the transfer window closed.
The picture has now changed.
ReadChelsea understands **Everton are not currently in the race because Chelsea’s asking price is beyond what they can afford**. With less than three weeks of the window remaining, that creates an interesting decision for Xabi Alonso and the club’s recruitment team.
Chelsea have not been desperate to move Delap on at any cost.
An earlier report this summer suggested the Blues valued him at **at least £40million**, although that figure should not necessarily be taken as Chelsea’s current asking price.
Delap also has little incentive to force an exit.
ReadChelsea reported on 1 August that [Delap was prepared to fight for his place under Alonso](https://readchelsea.com/2026/08/01/chelsea-forward-ready-to-fight-for-place-despite-exit-interest/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), despite the competition created by Chelsea’s summer recruitment.
His performances during pre-season have strengthened that argument.
Delap scored twice from the penalty spot against Johor Darul Ta’zim on Sunday, having started alongside Nicolas Jackson and Estevao Willian. Chelsea’s official report confirmed the striker won and converted the first penalty before scoring another after the interval.
Those goals do not suddenly guarantee him a starting position, but they have arrived at a useful moment.
Chelsea’s problem is the number of centre-forward options now available.
João Pedro remains an important part of the plans and is in line for a new contract after an excellent first season. Danny Welbeck has arrived from Brighton, while Emmanuel Emegha and Jackson are also part of the wider striker picture.
That depth was one reason a Delap departure looked increasingly possible.
But there is a difference between being **open to a sale** and accepting a deal below the club’s valuation.
Everton dropping out strengthens that distinction.
Chelsea can wait to see whether another club meets their demands. If that offer never arrives, Alonso would still have a 23-year-old striker under contract until 2031 who has made clear he is willing to compete for minutes. Chelsea’s official profile confirms Delap signed that long-term deal when he arrived from Ipswich in 2025.
The next few weeks will therefore tell us plenty about Chelsea’s real stance.
If Delap leaves, somebody else will have to meet the price Everton could not. If nobody does, **his route back into Alonso’s plans may be opening again.**