8 Strasbourg players that Chelsea MUST target after Liam Rosenior’s appointment | OneFootball

Liam Rosenior has been announced as the Chelsea manager following what we assume was intense negotiations with fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg.

As with any manager taking the helm at a new club, Rosenior will want to make the side his own, and he’s got a good line to tap into given the connection between Chelsea and Strasbourg and his knowledge of their players.

We have picked out a few former Rosenior disciples the manager could pursue at Stamford Bridge.

Mike Penders

There’s already been a change in net after Robert Sanchez’s recent injury saw Filip Jorgensen start the only game managed by caretaker Calum McFarlane.

But if Jorgensen fails to stake his claim and Rosenior doesn’t view Sanchez as the overwhelming option in net, Penders – currently on loan to Strasbourg from Chelsea – could be the man to come in.

Penders is already highly rated at Chelsea, and he’s kept six clean sheets in 16 Ligue 1 games this season, so has served Rosenior well in France.

Mamadou Sarr

Another Chelsea loanee, Sarr became a linchpin of the Strasbourg side and played 27 Ligue 1 games.

After appearing once for the Blues in the Club World Cup over the summer, Sarr was loaned back to France, where he’s started 13 games this season, largely as captain.

He’s evidently one of Rosenior’s most trusted assets, and is now playing for Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, where they are through to the quarter-finals.

With some of Chelsea’s centre-backs failing to convince fans, Sarr could be a perfect addition to the side.

Valentin Barco

Chelsea have a wealth of midfield talent, yet have still struggled this season given the amount of injuries that have piled up there.

It’s known they are looking for reinforcements in the position and Barco could be perfect given he’s also able to play as a left-back.

Chelsea were interested in Barco when Brighton signed him from Boca Juniors in 2023, but his Premier League spell didn’t work out, as he played just six times in the English top flight before being sold to Strasbourg for around £8.6million.

The once-capped Argentine international is having a spectacular time in France now, though, with one goal and four assists to his name in 14 Ligue 1 games this term – including an assist in a 3-3 draw with PSG

Chelsea could circumvent having to pay a huge sum for a former Brighton talent – like they did with Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella directly from the Seagulls – after seeing Barco come good in France, where a smaller offer would surely carry more weight.

Kendry Paez

Another Chelsea loan man, the club reportedly see Paez as a superstar in the making, having plucked him from Ecuador as a teenager, before loaning him out to Strasbourg.

There, he scored his first goal in his fifth game, and has shown an ability to play in multiple positions in the attacking third.

Most impressive is that at 18, Paez already has 23 Ecuador caps, proving he’s one of the best players in his country.

He has two goals and three assists to his name in senior international football, with his first assist coming on debut against Uruguay.

Julio Enciso

If he finds the right level of form, it feels more a question of when, not if, Enciso will join Chelsea.

It was reported when he joined Strasbourg in the summer that he was essentially only going there with a view to heading to the fellow BlueCo club down the line.

He has since played 15 times for the French club, with three of his four goal contributions coming in four UEFA Conference League games.

That sort of form in European football will stand him in good stead, but for the moment, no goal contributions in 10 league games mean he’s not going to be an immediate snare for Rosenior.

Martial Godo

Rosenior plucked players from England with his connections in the country while at Strasbourg, meaning some players could bed back into English football quickly were they to return.

Godo is one of those, formerly playing just around the corner of Chelsea, at Fulham, where he twice played in the Premier League after starring in PL2, while also impressing on loan at League One Wigan.

The move to Strasbourg has seen the winger’s level rise, as he’s on five goals and three assists so far this season – five of those direct goal contributions coming in as many games in Europe.

With Chelsea rotating between the likes of Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens on the wing, an outstanding candidate could usurp one of those roles.

And Godo’s ability to play on either flank stands him in good stead if he keeps up his form.

Emmanuel Emegha

Emegha is definitely joining Chelsea, with confirmation on a summer move having come some time ago.

Neither Joao Pedro or Liam Delap have made the No.9 role at Stamford Bridge their own, and Emegha looks a perfect challenger for them.

The Strasbourg captain has seven goals and two assists in 11 games this season, in which he’s been struck down with injuries.

It was reported this season that Chelsea could push for Emegha to join in January instead of the summer, and while it looks unlikely now, not least due to his injuries, Rosenior’s arrival could have a say in the timing of that move.

Joaquin Panichelli

Only three players have scored more for Rosenior than Argentine striker Panichelli. He bagged 11 goals for the boss this season, 10 of those coming in Ligue 1, which currently makes him the second top-scorer.

Panichelli has had no issues with moving up the levels, as he’s having a spectacular season in front of goal in a top-five league following his 21 goals for La Liga 2 side CD Mirandes last season.

As such, he might effortlessly make the step to Chelsea if Rosenior was to pursue him, also looking to make that striker role his own.