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Everton leading Man Utd in race to sign £40m-rated Chelsea attacker Everton continue to lead the chase for Liam Delap amid rival interest from Manchester United, with Chelsea having already informed the striker that he can leave Stamford Bridge this summer, per reports. Delap, 23, joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town for around £30million last summer but endured a difficult campaign, scoring only once in the Premier League, and that led the Blues to decide they are prepared to sell him. As revealed by TEAMtalk, Xabi Alonso has been ‘fully supportive of that decision’ after making it clear to club chiefs that Joao Pedro will be his main man up front. Chelsea tied Pedro down to a new long-term deal after rejecting offers from Barcelona, but they are ready to let Delap go for the right price. The report reveals that Everton have already held talks with Chelsea, in which the London side made clear they would stand firm on a price tag of £40million. Chelsea are said to believe that represents ‘good value in the current English market for a young forward with Premier League experience and significant potential.’ Everton do face competition for Delap’s signature, however. Man Utd, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United are ‘also in the conversation’, per the report, and have been ‘approached by intermediaries working on a potential deal.’ Everton leading the race for Liam Delap Como, Villarreal and Benfica have also shown interest in Delap, but the Chelsea forward has his heart set on remaining in the Premier League, and is particularly keen on a return to the North of England. That preference is another reason Everton are currently seen as the club in the strongest position, although the financial side of the deal still needs to be resolved. The report notes that Everton may need to sell one of their forwards first, with Beto considered the most likely candidate to leave. Crucially, Chelsea ‘fully expect Delap to have left Stamford Bridge by the end of August.’ Alonso also left Delap out of his squad for Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad. Delap, meanwhile, is increasingly focused on finding his next club as he looks to reignite his promising career. READ MORE – Every Premier League club’s pre-season 2026 fixtures and results