Panichelli next? Strasbourg president confirms Chelsea transfer plan

Tom Weber

• 31 Oct 2025 12:30 CDT
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Strasbourg president Marc Keller has revealed that he 'hopes' to sell one player to BlueCo 'brother club' Chelsea every year.

The Ligue 1 outfit have been under BlueCo ownership since 2023, but this has so far been a marriage of ups and downs. On the pitch, things are going splendidly. On Wednesday, Strasbourg bounced back from a loss to Lyon with a 3-0 beatdown of Auxerre.

Star striker Joaquin Panichelli added to his outstanding goal tally against Auxerre. In 10 Ligue 1 outings so far, the Argentine has scored nine goals. He has also netted once in the Conference League.

Without BlueCo's investment, Strasbourg would previously have struggled to attract a player like the 23-year-old. He finished top scorer in Spain's second tier last term and commanded a handsome €16.5 million transfer fee.

However, this newfound ability to spend comes with drawbacks, namely the fact that these supremely talented players will inevitably end up at Chelsea. This is why supporters feel their proudly independent club has been turned into a feeder side for the Blues.

Keller confirms Chelsea transfer strategy

The relationship between Strasbourg fans - or at least a vocal minority - and BlueCo hit a new low earlier in the season when Chelsea announced the 2026 signing of new captain Emanuel Emegha.

Keller has faced fierce criticism for his dealings with BlueCo, and supporters have even called for him to resign. He has insisted that he wants to resolve the matter peacefully, but his recent comments will likely only fuel the discontent.

Amid reports that Chelsea are already working on a deal for new superstar Panichelli, Keller has revealed in an interview with Le Figaro that he 'hopes' to sell at least one player to the Stamford Bridge club per season.

“I can understand the questions and reservations, but we’re really trying to work intelligently, to optimise things,” Keller said. “People have said we’re a feeder club. That’s not the right term.

"A feeder club would mean that there are 10 Strasbourg players who, every year, can go to Chelsea, which isn’t true. One every year, like Emegha, yes, I hope so. In England, they say ‘sister club.’ I would say we’re brother clubs.

"That is to say, we try to help each other within the same family. I don’t see it in a negative way. On the contrary, our owners are very motivated for Racing. Chelsea is a global brand, and RCSA is an important club in France. The idea isn’t to abandon one club for another.”

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