Chelsea are in the market for a striker but may have a talented option right under their noses at Strasbourg. Emanuel Emegha has been at the French club for two seasons and has been impressive with his work rate and proficiency in front of goal.
Emegha started his senior career at Sparta Rotterdam before moving to Belgium and Royal Antwerp in 2022 but only featured once for them. He then moved to Sturm Graz where he had 10 goals and 3 assists in 36 appearances for the Austrian side. This earned him a €13 million move to Strasbourg in 2023 where he has since excelled.
The Netherlands international scored 9 goals in 31 appearances in 2023 but has already surpassed that total in 2024-25 with 10 goals and 2 assists in just 20 appearances. He is leading the club in goals scored and has helped them push for a place in European competition next season.
There are several factors in Emegha’s favor as he is just 22 years old so he aligns with the Blues current approach of only signing young players and inking them to long term deals. He also brings a similar physical profile to Nico Jackson with his height though he is a bit taller than the Senegalese front man which could make him an ideal backup.
Emegha will take some polishing as he does not have much experience in a top league but the same could have been said of Jackson who was with Villareal’s senior team for just two years before making the move. Many believe that Emegha could be Chelsea’s secondary option in the market if they are unable to secure the services of Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.
The Dutch striker could be considerably cheaper than Delap considering his lack of Premier League experience and given Strasbourg’s relationship with Chelsea. They could also work out some sort of swap deal with a Chelsea Academy youngster heading to France in exchange for a smaller fee.
Regardless of the details of the transaction, the prospect of adding another big striker to the Chelsea lineup is an intriguing one. Emegha could give Chelsea’s attack a plan B of sorts thanks to his abilities in the air and could one day develop into a top tier striker. The Blues certainly have a history of finding elite talent in Ligue 1 like Didier Drogba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Eden Hazard, and many more and this could be yet another success.