Chelsea reach transfer agreement to beat EPL rivals to striker signing

The summer transfer window may have closed on September 1 but Chelsea have already completed some early business that will benefit them in 2026

Chelsea have pounced to negotiate a pre-agreement with Strasbourg for the signing of forward Emanuel Emegha. The Dutchman, who captains the Ligue 1 club owned by BlueCo, is set to move to Stamford Bridge in 2026.

Discussions over a deal have been taking place since May and now the Blues have secured the services of the 22-year-old, beating a number of Premier League rivals to his signature in the process.

Emegha started his career in his homeland of Holland with Sparta Rotterdam before a brief spell with Royal Antwerp in Belgium. He then moved to Austria with Sturm Graz before landing at Strasbourg in 2023, plundering 26 goals in 64 appearances in France.

Last season, he mustered 14 goals and three assists in 27 outings in all competitions as Liam Rosenior's side secured qualification for the UEFA Conference League.

A number of English sides including Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Newcastle were linked with Emegha during the summer transfer window but there was a sense his long-term future would lie at Chelsea.

It's understood the Holland U21 international attacker wanted to stay with Strasbourg this season to experience European football after playing a key role in qualification.

He will sign a seven-year contract at Chelsea and is expected to join the Blues next summer following the conclusion of the current season.

Enzo Maresca's side arguably would have benefited from having Emegha in their squad immediately after losing Liam Delap to a hamstring injury.

The former Ipswich Town and Manchester City starlet could be sidelined for up to 12 weeks with the issue sustained against Fulham. Nicolas Jackson's move to Bayern Munich has also left the Club World Cup champions short in attack, though Marc Guiu has been recalled from his loan spell with Sunderland.

When asked if he would like to have kept Jackson, Maresca said ahead of Saturday's trip to Brentford: "Nico, for me it's quite easy in terms of, at this moment he's a Bayern Munich player. I sent him a message, I wish him all the best. Nico, until the day he was here, he was very good, he was working well. So I wish him all the best, and that's the only thing I can say." Despite firing blank on the opening day of the season against Crystal Palace, Chelsea have struck seven times in their past two Premier League outings; first demolishing West Ham 5-1 without Cole Palmer before beating Fulham 2-0 before the international break.