Nottingham Forest has finalized a £50m deal to acquire Liam Delap from Chelsea, who are also in discussions regarding the sale of Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa.

Xabi Alonso, the Villa manager, has prioritized João Pedro and Danny Welbeck as his main strikers this season, prompting other forwards to seek new opportunities.

Forest emerged as a key contender for Delap, who had a challenging stint at Chelsea after transferring from Ipswich for £30m last summer. The agreement includes a club record fee of £45m plus £5m in add-ons for the 23-year-old. Delap only managed to score once in the league last season due to injuries but is seen as a vital signing for Forest’s manager, Oliver Glasner, who hopes to rejuvenate the striker's career at the City Ground.

On the Chelsea front, the club is concentrating on player departures ahead of the transfer window closure next Tuesday. They are looking to sell Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich and is valued at £65m. Villa has identified him as a potential replacement for Ollie Watkins, likely to join the Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Chelsea is firm on not agreeing to another loan for Jackson and expects their valuation to be met, while Villa aims for a more manageable payment structure. Atlético Madrid has also expressed interest in the 25-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023, with Unai Emery having previously worked with him.

Meanwhile, West Ham's roster reshuffle continues following their relegation from the Premier League, with El Hadji Malick Diouf set to join Brentford for around £35m. Discussions are underway for the left-back, and an agreement is anticipated soon. Diouf, who transferred from Slavia Prague for £19m last year, seeks to depart, having been omitted from the squad as West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat to Charlton. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo faces increasing pressure as several players, including Edson Álvarez, aim to leave the club.