Have Chelsea signed the wrong Strasbourg forward?

Robin Bairner

• 22 Oct 2025 08:01 CDT
• 9 min read

News

Chelsea have already made their first signing for the 2026/27 season in the form of Emanuel Emegha, but there is a growing body of evidence that they have signed the wrong Strasbourg forward.

While Emegha has impressed since moving to France from Sturm Graz in 2023, his status as Strasbourg’s first-choice No.9 is being questioned by the displays of Joaquin Panichelli.

Signed from Alaves in the summer for a hefty €16.5 million fee, the Argentine has sparkled in Ligue 1. At 23, Panichelli is comparatively ancient compared to a typical BlueCo signing, but in scoring seven goals in eight matches for Racing, he has become the first player in 63 years to start with the French club at such a rate.

Current ETV

Joaquín Panichelli

F (C)

Strasbourg

Joaquín Panichelli

F (C)

Strasbourg

€9.3M

ETV Range

€7.9M - €10.7M

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PSG slayer

A burly front player in the mould of Chelsea forward Liam Delap, Panichelli has been bullying defenders since the beginning of the season, aided by Emegha’s injury problems.

Last Friday’s double against PSG was particularly impressive, leaving head coach Liam Rosenior to exclaim: “I’ve never seen a No.9 play such a game, especially as a target man. He has a great mentality and brings us his desire to win.”

Panichelli’s aerial ability has particularly impressed. His first against PSG was greeted by Rosenior as “one of the most beautiful headed goals I’ve ever seen live”.

Former Chelsea star Diego Moreira chipped in: “He’s a great player, especially in the air. He will help us a lot this season.”

Keep up his current form, and Panichelli will not be hanging around France much longer than that.

Already there are reports from Spain that Atletico Madrid are “seriously considering” a move, yet it would be little surprise if Chelsea were to cast their eye over the South American following his express start at their sister club.

Why Chelsea could sign Panichelli

Panichelli is built like the type of striker that Maresca likes but offers a different type of style in terms of his play.

While Delap and Joao Pedro both operate as pressing forwards, Panichelli is more of a focal point for his team. This means that he is unlikely to be an immediate front-line option at Stamford Bridge, but he would be a valuable alternative to help break down deep-lying opponents in particular.

Emegha vs Delap: Playing style (2024/25)

Emegha fits the style of a current Chelsea striker more easily, but that’s not to say that Panichelli could not be moulded into a similar player.

His figures suggest that he could become an effective defensive force, which is something that Maresca wants from his forwards. His open-play disruption has been exceptional early in the season for Strasbourg, while his defending from set-piece situations has also been formidable.

What are the chances of a deal?

Moving Panichelli from one BlueCo entity in Strasbourg to another in Chelsea should also be a relatively straightforward transaction, keeping the price point manageable for the Stamford Bridge side.

With the Argentine potentially overtaking the injured Emegha as Strasbourg’s first-choice striker, Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on developments in France to see if this stellar level can be maintained.

If so, expect him to be jetting to Stamford Bridge sooner rather than later.