Newcastle battle Chelsea to sign star Ligue 1 striker | OneFootball

Newcastle United are chasing a summer deal for Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha, who is also reported to be on the radar of parent club Chelsea.

BlueCo, who own both Chelsea and Strasbourg, signed off on a €13m (£11.2m) deal to sign Emegha from Sturm Graz in the summer of 2023. A solid debut season yielded nine goals but the 22-year-old has blossomed this year under Liam Rosenior, racking up 13 goals in 25 games, tying him for fifth in Ligue 1's scoring race.

Such form has caught the eye of several sides across Europe and L'Equipe state Emegha is one of multiple Strasbourg stars being eyed up ahead of summer switches.

The primary suitors for Emegha are Newcastle, who fear they could lose Alexander Isak this summer and are searching for possible replacements. It is claimed the Magpies' interest "does not leave Emegha unmoved".

Chelsea, meanwhile, are not thought to be looking at an immediate deal for Emegha - Ipswich Town's Liam Delap is emerging as a key target - but his move to Strasbourg was aided by the allure of a future switch to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have reportedly presented the Dutch forward with a progression path in the hope of keeping him at Strasbourg in the short term.

The French outfit could lose several key players this summer. Alongside Emegha, there is said to be Premier League interest in midfielder Habib Diarra, while young defender Ismael Doukoure is reportedly wanted in Germany.

Rosenior's side, who are locked in a race to qualify for the Champions League and could yet finish second in Ligue 1, will almost certainly lose goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who is only on loan from Chelsea alongside midfielder Andrey Santos.

There is a belief inside the west London club that both Petrovic and Santos can compete for minutes in the first team next season, although Santos is thought to be attracting interest from some of Europe's top sides.