EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea striker Liam Delap should join Everton at the second time of asking, insists Pat Nevin
Liam Delap is “a player who has Everton stamped all over him” and should make a belated move to Hill Dickinson Stadium after that was a better option than Chelsea last summer reckons a former Blues star.
Delap netted a dozen Premier League goals for Ipswich Town in 2024/25 but after they went straight back down to the Championship, his £30million relegation release clause enabled him to talk to interested parties.
Everton were one of those chasing his signature at the time, hoping the prospect of being the leading star going into a new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium could add weight to their bid.
Blues boss Moyes took what was an unusual step for him of publicly declaring his interest and following their talks he said: “We’ve had a chance to speak to him, yes. He spoke to three or four clubs. He’s given us our opportunity to pitch our case. We’re probably a little bit behind the black ball but hopefully, you never know what happens.”
Ultimately, Delap chose to go to Chelsea, who could offer Champions League football while also providing him with the chance to play under Enzo Maresca, who had previously been his coach at Manchester City.
However, the Italian departed on New Year’s Day and the west London club, after hiring and then fired Liam Rosenior less than four months into a six-and-a-half-year contract, have now appointed Xabi Alonso and signed Danny Welbeck.
When Chelsea having to trim down the numbers in their bloated squad, Delap is understood to be free to leave, but Stamford Bridge chiefs still want to make a healthy profit on him and are demanding a £40million fee.
If Everton were to pay that, it would make Delap the most costly centre-forward they have ever purchased. Almost nine years on from his arrival, midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson remains the Blues’ record signing at £45million, followed by initial outlays of £35million for both Richarlison and Tyler Dibling.
Another option to get the Winchester-born player to Hill Dickinson Stadium could be through a loan deal, but either way Pat Nevin believes he remains an ideal fit.
The former Scotland international, swapped Chelsea for Everton in a £925,000 move and went on to make 150 appearances for the Blues between 1988-92, scoring 21 goals.
Nevin told the ECHO: “I haven’t really changed my mind since Liam Delap moved to Chelsea at the time, I thought a move to Everton would have been better for him. He just looks like a David Moyes type of player, and I’m not sure he fits the style Chelsea have been using recently.
“I am a huge fan of his. I love his work rate and running, if I were a midfielder or an attacker playing behind him, which was my position, I would have loved playing alongside him.
“He crashes into challenges, pushes defenders, and drags people out of position to create space for his team-mates. He is a good goalscorer when given enough chances, but he didn’t get those opportunities at Chelsea.
“He’s a player who has Everton stamped all over him. Now, he may never end up there, he might get another chance at Chelsea or decide to go elsewhere because plenty of other teams are looking at him and thinking the same.
“Everyone can see why it didn’t work out brilliantly at Chelsea. He needs to be the focal point and get a run of games in a row, which never happened for him there. I think there are enough people who believe he can do that in the Premier League.
“I just hope he gets that chance at Everton. That’s for many reasons, and it might be total and utter bias on my part, but I really like Liam and I like David Moyes.”
Meanwhile, boyhood Celtic fan Nevin is surprised that Everton didn’t seal at deal with the Scottish champions for Alistair Johnston.
However, with the Canada World Cup star now facing around six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, the 62-year-old has tipped his pal Moyes to ultimately solve the Blues’ long-running problem position of right-back.
Nevin, speaking courtesy of OLBG, said: “I was at the Celtic game against Kilmarnock where they took Alistair Johnston off at half-time, and everyone thought that was the last time we’d see him in the hoops. They were wrong, he’s still there.
“I was genuinely surprised because it’s very rare for Celtic to turn down a Premier League team, but maybe the money wasn’t right, or the deal will be done later.
“It may well be that a deal gets done later, and I think he would do a good job for Everton if he goes. It’s a strange situation for Everton, though, because they have a Scottish international right-back who is completely and utterly forgotten about in Nathan Patterson.
“I was at all the Scotland games, and he did really well. In fact, he played better for Scotland than he has for Everton.
“Has David Moyes seen something there? Maybe he’s grown and his physique is a bit better now.
“Regardless, Everton probably need another right-back, and I’m sure David Moyes will fill that position. There are quite a lot of decent right-backs out there.
“I’m not worried about Everton needing to move midfielders or centre-backs into full-back positions, which they’ve had to do a lot in the past. Moyes will want a proper right-back.
“Will whoever he brings in be as good as Seamus Coleman or give as much to the club? That’s highly unlikely, he is a club legend.”