Chris Wood backs £50m Chelsea striker Liam Delap to bring 'healthy competition' to Forest attack

Forest have agreed a £50m club-record fee to bring in Chelsea striker Delap before the transfer window closes. Reports of the breakthrough gathered pace ahead of their Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds as Delap looked to end a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge. Wood greeted the news warmly, insisting the marquee addition will significantly sharpen Forest's attacking edge.

Despite Delap netting just three goals in 47 appearances across all competitions during his spell with the Blues, Wood remains convinced by the forward's potential. Addressing the club's ambition and the increased competition for places in attack, Wood said: "We're an ambitious club and that shows with what we're spending on players like him [Delap]. It will be fantastic to get Liam through the door. Hopefully it gets all signed. He will be great for our team, and it is healthy competition, and we will be better players for it."

Wood's endorsement comes in the wake of Forest's second-round Carabao Cup exit, falling 2-0 to Leeds amid glaring wastefulness in the final third. Wood saw clear-cut opportunities thwarted by James Trafford and a goal-saving Joe Rodon tackle, while Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, and Nicolas Dominguez also squandered chances. Back-to-back home defeats without scoring against the same opposition inside four days have left new manager Glasner urgently needing attacking reinforcements.

Forest now face a race against time to finalise Delap's paperwork before the summer window closes. Glasner will hope to have the forward registered in time for Saturday's demanding Premier League trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. An immediate improvement in front of goal remains essential as Forest look to pick up vital points in their bid to secure top-flight survival.