Nottingham Forest has broken its transfer record to bring in a $68 million (£50 million) striker, with a deal agreed for the switch a few days before it comes to Anfield
Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner.
Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner.(Image: Ritchie Sumpter/Nottingham Forest FC via Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest is closing in on a club-record transfer deal worth up to $68 million (£50 million) to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea, with the former Manchester City starlet potentially set to debut against Liverpool.
Oliver Glasner's side already has Igor Jesus and Chris Wood, though the latter is now 34, and it sold the former Liverpool man Taiwo Awoniyi to Coventry City last week.
Delap only moved to Chelsea last summer for around $41 million (£30 million) from Ipswich Town. He scored two goals in 41 appearances during his time at Stamford Bridge, somehow seeing his value rise by around two-thirds.
According to the BBC, the deal for Delap to move to the City Ground is now agreed. Nottingham Forest lost 1-0 at home to Leeds on the opening day of the new campaign.
"I don't expect anyone for Tuesday but two more players, two different positions. The club is working hard to get the deals done and that's it," Glasner said over the weekend.
The Tricky Trees boss is hoping for a reaction from his players in the next game, which happens to be against Liverpool.
Liam Delap during a Chelsea pre-season training session
Liam Delap during a Chelsea pre-season training session(Image: (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))
Nottingham Forest beat the Reds on Merseyside by an aggregate score of four goals to nil during Arne Slot's tenure, while Glasner — then at Crystal Palace — won three times against Liverpool last term.
"[A defeat] always gives me a great feedback about how we deal with this situation," he added. "We do not bury our heads in the sand so we are focusing on what we need to do and what we have done well."
Liverpool could do with some attacking reinforcements of its own. Talks are ongoing regarding Bradley Barcola, while Yankuba Minteh has been the subject of two bids from the Anfield side.
"As a manager, this is an easy one for me," Andoni Iraola said last Friday when he was asked about transfers. "I wanted the players for the first day, July 13, everyone here, all the positions doubled, top-level players.
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"But you understand how the competition works, that [the] market is open and you start the competition. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation.
"I hate these two weeks or these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty – but not in Liverpool, everywhere because once the market is open.
"But we have to adapt. Honestly, I don't want to spend too much time thinking on these things. I know that you will ask me a lot of questions about the market and this, but I am focused on the game against Newcastle.
"That is massive for me and using the very good players that we have right now in the building in the best way so we can be competitive from the beginning."