Aston Villa were offered the chance to sign Liam Delap, as Chelsea are eager to sell some of their fringe players to balance their books.
Over the last few days, there has been plenty of communication between Aston Villa and Chelsea, with Liam Delap reportedly offered to the Birmingham club. A report by Football Insider has claimed that Unai Emery’s side are not keen on signing the English forward after the disappointing season he endured, meaning the Blues will have to explore another avenue.
Chelsea kick-started their summer window with a marquee signing in Morgan Rogers. The Londoners agreed to pay £117 million to sign the Aston Villa man, which is reported to be the asking price for the England international, but following that purchase, they may need to raise funds to balance their books.
Chelsea have sought to offload fringe players in recent weeks, with Delap among those deemed surplus to requirements. The English striker scored only once in the Premier League during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, a far cry from his 12-goal haul for Ipswich Town the season prior, as he was offered to Aston Villa.
No Aston Villa interest in Liam Delap
Aston Villa are not expected to pursue Delap, nor are they interested in signing the misfiring Chelsea forward. The club are actively seeking alternatives in attack and remain in talks with the West London club over more promising targets.
They are negotiating with Chelsea over Nicolas Jackson, whose experience and prior working relationship with Emery may prove a better fit to compete with Ollie Watkins. The Birmingham club are also keen on Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea, which could allow them to pursue a double deal for attacking options. Delap is not expected to feature on their list based on current reporting.
What next for Delap?
Chelsea remain open to selling Delap, though the market for the former Ipswich striker is limited. The Blues have reportedly identified Dusan Vlahovic as a replacement should he depart, though signing the Juventus forward may prove challenging.
Everton were among those recently interested, but interest has cooled since then, and no notable teams have registered concrete interest to date. The striker may be afforded the opportunity to impress new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso in pre-season, after which his future could be clarified.
