Emanuel Emegha: What Chelsea fans can expect from the Blues’ new No.9

Robin Bairner

• 12 Sept 2025 13:35 BST
• 11 min read

Analysis

Chelsea are set to take advantage of their link with Strasbourg to sign striker Emanuel Emegha.

BlueCo’s ownership has meant that players have regularly bounced between the two teams, with Emegha set to follow Mamadou Sarr in trading Stade de la Meinau for Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis.

Reports from France indicated in August that the Netherlands U21 star was destined to move to West London, and now the transfer has been confirmed by the club.

Current ETV

Emanuel Emegha

F (C)

Strasbourg

Emanuel Emegha

F (C)

Strasbourg

€26.2M

ETV Range

€23.6M - €28.8M

View full profile

The transfer insider reports that Emegha will sign a seven-year contract with Chelsea, although there is no mention of a transfer fee.

The Blues are liable to secure favourable terms for the 22-year-old, who has an Estimated Transfer Value of €26m and a contract in France that runs until 2028.

How good is Emanuel Emegha?

Emegha is a player with the potential to go all the way to the top. Data analytics firm SciSports believes that although he is not currently at the level of a Chelsea starter, he has the capacity to develop into a key player at the Stamford Bridge side.

Indeed, he is thought to have a higher ceiling than either Joao Pedro or Liam Delap.

Furthermore, SciSports compares him in style to Victor Osimhen, a player Chelsea coveted for a long period. Indeed, given Emegha’s roots are from Nigeria, this is a particularly fitting comparison.

Emanuel Emegha vs Victor Osimhen: Style comparison

At 22, he is captaining Strasbourg and has proven himself a player to have a keen eye for goal.

Last term, he scored 14 times in 27 Ligue 1 matches and, in what will be his first season as a starter in European football, he already has a couple of Conference League strikes to his credit.

The BBC’s Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella has explained that Chelsea see enormous potential in the striker.

“Chelsea believe he will be ready to step up to Premier League level by 2026 and he is one of the leading scorers in Ligue 1. His and Marc Guiu's future development were factors behind not signing a striker to replace an injured Liam Delap,” he explained.

What are his strengths?

I’ve watched a lot of Emegha over the past couple of years, and he’s got no shortage of weapons that will be to his benefit when he moves to Chelsea in 12 months.

Inevitably, when a player moves to the Premier League, they are faced with the big question: are they physical enough to cut it? There’s little doubt in my mind that Emegha has the athleticism to play in England. He may be wiry, but he’s strong, his movement is good and he should benefit from Ligue 1’s rather rough-and-tumble approach to defending.

If there is any doubt over his physicality, it comes in the form of his stamina, which has a tendency to dip. Fitness work, though, can see this facet of his game improve, while he will not be expected to play the full 90 at Chelsea on a regular basis.

Technically, too, he’s strong. He possesses a good first touch, and has proven his class in front of goal by scoring 14 times for Strasbourg last season in just 27 Ligue 1 games. Given that he did not inflate his numbers with a single penalty, this is a strong record.

In terms of his mentality, Racing boss Liam Rosenior could barely speak higher of the player.

“He pulls others up and has the confidence of the squad,” the Englishman said. “I’ve just asked him to be himself, with his character and personality. The armband must not change the player.

“He is a leader in his way of playing.”

Sure, there are areas of Emegha’s game that Chelsea will want to refine – he’s not a player with a super strength – but that’s what the BlueCo project is all about. The raw talent is there, now it’s up to the Stamford Bridge staff to hone it as they see fit.

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