Sawt Falasteen - Strasbourg skipper Emegha to join Chelsea at end of season

No details were revealed of a transfer fee or the length of contract the Netherlands Under-21 striker will sign at Stamford Bridge.

"Strasbourg gave me the opportunity to develop and to get to the level that I am today," said Emegha, who has scored a total of 22 Ligue 1 goals across the last two seasons after signing from Austrian side Sturm Graz.

The 22-year-old has scored three goals in three games in all competitions at the beginning of this campaign for Liam Rosenior's side.

"I just want to focus 100 percent on Strasbourg until the end of this season and then I will leave.

"I had the opportunities to go to other top European clubs that play in the Champions League. I spoke with Chelsea, with Strasbourg, with BlueCo, about what would be the best for my career," he added.

"We thought the best for my career would be to stay in Strasbourg for one more year...and then go to Chelsea."

His move will be the latest in a long line of transactions between the two clubs since BlueCo bought Strasbourg in 2023 to develop a multi-club model.

The consortium, led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, bought Chelsea a year earlier.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea squad this season already includes Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos, who has returned to London after impressing on loan at Strasbourg.

England left-back Ben Chilwell recently made the move in the opposite direction.

C.Hamad--SF-PST