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News
- 3 hours ago
Chelsea forced to announce 2026 signing due to bizarre reason
Cameron Smith
- 28 Sep 2025 14:30 CDT
- 4 min read
News
Chelsea were forced to announce the signing of Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha early due to fears they may qualify for the same European competition as their sister club this season.
Emegha, 22, will join Chelsea for an undisclosed transfer fee next summer and he was unveiled by the Blues on 12 September in a deal that has sparked outrage amongst Strasbourg supporters.
Current ETV
Emanuel Emegha
F (C)
Strasbourg
Emanuel Emegha
F (C)
Strasbourg
ETV Range
€23.6M - €28.8M
Fans of the Ligue 1 club have protested against the BlueCo ownership on a number of occasions over the past year and they remain furious that Emegha - their star player and captain - has been sold to their sister club Chelsea.
The Dutchman was booed during Strasbourg’s 1-0 victory over Le Havre last weekend and supporters also held up a banner that read: ““Emegha BlueCo pawn. After changing your shirt, give back your armband.”
Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior has slammed fans for their treatment of Emegha over the past two weeks, while club president Marc Keller was even forced to defend the 22-year-old during an emergency press conference held on Thursday.
Why have Chelsea already announced Emmanuel Emegha signing?
Although supporters are angry at Emegha’s imminent move to Chelsea, French outlet L’Equipe claim that Enzo Maresca’s side opted to announce the signing of the Netherlands forward earlier than initially planned due to UEFA regulations.
That is because the transfer would’ve been illegal if Chelsea and Strasbourg were to both qualify for the same European competition.
As per UEFA rules, if two clubs share the same owners and qualify for the same European competition, they are not allowed to transfer players during that season.
As a result, Chelsea decided to confirm the transfer early in order to ensure Emegha will 100% be allowed to join the club in 2026.
The Netherlands international has scored four goals in five appearances so far this season and his imminent arrival at Chelsea is expected to trigger the permanent departure of Nicolas Jackson - who is currently on loan at reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
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