Strasbourg captain Emmanuel Emegha is set to join Chelsea next season, the two clubs announced Friday, September 12. Both teams are owned by the BlueCo consortium, which did not disclose the transfer fee or contract length for the Netherlands Under-21 striker.
“Strasbourg gave me the opportunity to develop and to get to the level that I am today,” Emegha said, reflecting on his two seasons with the French side, during which he scored 22 Ligue 1 goals after joining from Austrian club Sturm Graz.
The 22-year-old has started the current campaign in fine form, scoring three goals in three games across all competitions. “I just want to focus 100 percent on Strasbourg until the end of this season and then I will leave,” he added.
Emegha also noted that he considered other top European clubs before deciding on his path. “I had the opportunities to go to other top European clubs that play in the Champions League. I spoke with Chelsea, with Strasbourg, with BlueCo, about what would be the best for my career,” he said. “We thought the best for my career would be to stay in Strasbourg for one more year…and then go to Chelsea.”
His transfer follows a growing trend of player movement between the two clubs since BlueCo acquired Strasbourg in 2023 as part of a multi-club development model. The consortium, led by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, had purchased Chelsea a year earlier.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca already has Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos back in London after a loan spell at Strasbourg, while England left-back Ben Chilwell recently moved in the opposite direction.
