Chelsea eye deal to sign Emanuel Emegha in 2026 | OneFootball

Chelsea are planning a pre-agreement deal to sign Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha in 2026, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea already have a similar deal in place for defender Mamadou Sarr and have now set their sights on Emegha, who impressed in Ligue 1 this season.

The 22-year-old is a product of the highly acclaimed Sturm Graz striker factory.

He bagged 14 goals in 27 appearances this season. This translates to 0.55 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes – the seventh-highest in Ligue 1.

Emegha is fantastic in counter-attacking situations. However, he is still wasteful in front of goal, but has room for improvement.

Chelsea continue to skirt around their striker problem, choosing to gamble on young gems such as Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, and now Emegha.

The club needs a striker, and they have their radar on players like Hugo Ekitike and Liam Delap.

None of these forwards has shown they are ready to lead the line for Chelsea. No player listed above has ever crossed the 20-league goals mark.

Chelsea need a lethal, box-dominant world-class striker who can lead them into battles, yet they continue to target counter-attacking centre-forwards who do not move the needle.

If Chelsea have €100 million to blow on Hugo Ekitike, they can afford to sign a ready-made player such as Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyokeres – players who have led teams to titles.