Chelsea reach pre-agreement for Ligue 1 Strasbourg's Emanuel Emegha

Chelsea have announced a pre-agreement to sign 22-year-old striker Emanuel Emegha from Ligue 1 club Strasbourg in 2026. The Netherlands Under-21 international will remain with Strasbourg for one more season before joining Chelsea on a seven-year contract, having turned down interest from other Champions League and Premier League clubs earlier this year.

Emegha, who is Strasbourg's captain and scored 23 goals in 57 league appearances, is a key player for the club and will lead them in their first European campaign since 2020. His impending move influenced Chelsea's decision not to sign a replacement for the injured Liam Delap on transfer deadline day.

The transfer underscores the close relationship between Chelsea and Strasbourg, both owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. This summer saw multiple player movements between the clubs, including Ben Chilwell's move to Strasbourg, loans for Kendry Paez and Mike Penders, and the permanent transfer of Mamadou Sarr to Chelsea followed by a loan back to Strasbourg.

Additionally, Strasbourg signed Chelsea academy products Ishe Samuels-Smith and Mathis Amougou for significant fees, though Samuels-Smith later returned to Chelsea due to limited development opportunities and was immediately loaned to Swansea City. FIFA's loan rules, which limit clubs to three loans to the same team per season, impacted some of these transactions, but permanent transfers are permitted provided fees reflect fair market value.