PROFILE | Soon-to-be Chelsea forward Emanuel Emegha burns bridges but builds others in 2025 | OneFootball

Emanuel Emegha was not immediately embraced by the RC Strasbourg Alsace faithful when he first arrived in the 2023 summer transfer window. The young striker, joining from SK Sturm Graz on a then club record €13m deal, cut a divisive figure. He had the uncomfortable task of replacing fan favourite Habib Diallo and also unwittingly became the face of a new era in the East of France. 

He was to be one of the first signings of the BlueCo takeover, which would envelop Strasbourg into a multi-club relationship with Chelsea. The Strasbourg ultras protested against the takeover and continue to do so at the start of every game, concerned over the idea that the club is being stripped of its unique identity, in order to become a feeder club to their new sister in London. 

He was given a frosty reception in his first season, booed and criticised by supporters, who often felt that he came across as arrogant. His case certainly wasn’t helped by inconsistent performances that saw him net only eight times in 28 Ligue 1 appearances, whereas Diallo had been sold off the back of a season where he had scored 20 league goals for Le Racing. 

Nor was Emegha helped by the BlueCo project being caught between two directions: a youth-focused, high-energy transfer policy and a squad largely filled with the old guard and a manager in Patrick Vieira who was wedded to a passive low block. This would all change ahead of the 2024/25 campaign with the arrival of a new head coach, Liam Rosenior. 

Inconspicuous by his absence

Overnight, the fat was trimmed, and the squad was replenished with young talent, helping Strasbourg transform into a dynamic side that looked to press aggressively from the front. In this new system, Emegha was no longer a player who looked ill-suited to his manager; he looked like the future of the project, a player who fitted seamlessly into the team. And he quickly proved to be indispensable. 

His goalscoring record was improved from the season before, with him netting 14 times in 27 league appearances. He grew from a striker who was largely used as a target-man, to a complete no.9, someone who was just as happy to stretch the pitch and attack the space behind the defensive line with a burst of pace as he was to demonstrate his poacher’s instinct and find a pocket within a crowded box. 

However, perhaps most impressively, it was his sheer presence in the squad that was most notable. When he was on the pitch, Strasbourg lost only three times across the entire season, while when he was absent, they lost seven of the eight matches (including their exit at the hands of Angers SCO in the Coupe de France). 

Strasbourg would finish the campaign in seventh, only four points behind AS Monaco, who sat third, and in the final automatic qualification spot for the UEFA Champions League. It’s not an outlandish thing to suggest that if Emegha had not suffered a knee injury midway through the season, Le Racing likely would have qualified for the Champions League rather than the UEFA Europa Conference League. 

Relationship with fans… and then the club strains

Over the summer, Andrey Santos returned to Chelsea following the end of his loan deal, and Habib Diarra was sold to Sunderland AFC, which left the captain’s armband unoccupied. Emegha’s status in the squad had grown immeasurably, and his performances on the pitch were recognised, with him becoming the clear choice to become the next captain. 

It was a decision that would come back to bite Strasbourg early into the new campaign, when on the 12th of September, Chelsea announced that the striker had agreed to join them at the end of the season. The timing of this announcement and the image of Emegha at the Chelsea training ground only served to open old wounds at the club, with the ultras unfurling a banner two days later against Le Havre AC, demanding that Emegha hand back the captain’s armband. 

Emegha would step into further trouble following a few unwise media appearances. He would imply to reporters following his brace in the 2-0 win over Lille OSC that Strasbourg had lost against Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco because he wasn’t playing. And then a few weeks later, he would tell the Dutch media during his first call-up with the Netherlands national team that he hadn’t known where Strasbourg was before his move. He said, “I thought it was in Germany, but it turned out to be in France. Well, I think everyone knows Strasbourg now.” 

These statements were poorly received by the club and were likely the reason behind the one-game suspension that saw him miss the defeat to Toulouse FC, although the exact reason behind the internal discipline was never confirmed by Strasbourg. 

Injuries hamper Emegha’s season

With all that has happened off the pitch, it can be easy to forget how good Emegha has been in the brief moments he’s been on it. He looks on course to register his best goalscoring return, having already netted seven times in 11 games across all competitions. However, it has been a struggle for him to remain fit and healthy. 

Injuries have blighted him at almost every turn. He suffered a recurrent hamstring injury early in the campaign, which saw him miss nine matches across the league and the Europa Conference League campaign. His brief return to the squad in November was followed by a small thigh tear, which has ruled him out until 2026. 

This is a shame, not only for Strasbourg, who have not won in the league since he scored his brace against Lille, but for Ligue 1. Emegha has proved that he is one of the most exciting players in the league, and sometimes, to his detriment, as has been the case more often than not this season, is one of the great characters. With his transfer on the horizon, it is a case of catch him while you still can.

GFFN | Nick Hartland