The transfer window only closed a week-and-a-half ago, yet West Ham United have still managed to miss out on yet another centre-forward target. To make matters worse, he is joining one of their bitterest Premier League rivals.
When deadline day came and went at the beginning of September, the Hammers must have thought that they could forget about a difficult and occasionally exasperating recruitment drive.
Yes, West Ham United succeeded in strengthening a poor midfield by signing Soungoutou Magassa and Mateus Fernandes.
Igor Julio could make his debut under Graham Potter against Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s evening kick-off, while Malick Diouf and Callum Wilson combined to devastating effect during that 3-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.
But the fact that every one of their seven first-team additions came in the final six weeks of the window reflects the difficulties the Hammers endured during the previous month-and-a-half.
David Moyes’ Everton snapped up Thierno Barry, Brazilian hitman Yuri Alberto opted to stay at Corinthians, Jonathan Burkhardt joined the esteemed Frankfurt finishing school, while Jonathan David turned his nose up at West Ham too before putting pen to paper at Juventus.
Now, with Emanuel Emegha confirmed to be on his way to Chelsea – well, in 2026 – any plans the Hammers had about renewing their interest in the Strasbourg sensation can be shelved for good.
Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha celebrates
Photo by LISELOTTE SABROE/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
West Ham United target Emanuel Emegha joins Chelsea from Strasbourg
Hammers News can confirm, via chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Emanuel Emegha was one of West Ham’s top targets in the centre-forward department at the beginning of the summer transfer window.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
A relentless, gangly but silky-smooth number nine, Emegha showed shades of Alexander Isak while scoring 14 goals in just 23 Ligue 1 starts under Liam Rosenior.
But there was always a nagging feeling that Emegha was destined to end up at Chelsea. Fears that proved to be anything but unfounded.
Because, while Strasbourg have benefitted immensely from those BlueCo connections, Emegha is set to move in the other direction in the new year.
Rosenior, the former Derby County and Hull City coach who guided Strasbourg to their first top-seven finish since 2021/22, believes Chelsea have landed themselves one of the continent’s premier forwards.
“Emma is an exceptional young striker. One of the best in European football,” Rosenior said after Emegha’s Stamford Bridge future was confirmed. “That’s why he agreed to join a big club like Chelsea.
“I said it from day one as head coach of this club, I want to see my players play at the highest level. There’s nothing higher than the World Club Championship team.”
Rosenior also confirms that up to 20 ‘big European clubs’ tried to lure Emegha away from Alsace before Chelsea took full advantage of that so-called sister club arrangement.
The Strasbourg captain signs a seven-year deal with West Ham’s London neighbours.
“There were probably 15 or 20 big European clubs that wanted to sign him this summer,” Rosenior adds. “And one of them, fortunately for Emma, was Chelsea.”
A crestfallen Graham Potter on the sideline as West Ham are beaten 5-1 by Chelsea
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Emegha explains Chelsea switch as Graham Potter lauds Callum Wilson
While many of West Ham’s summer signings were made with the long-term in mind – Fernandes, Magassa and Diouf are all aged 21 and 20 – the addition of a 33-year-old Callum Wilson was certainly a classic case of kicking the proverbial can down the road.
Graham Potter feels Wilson has been a ‘fantastic’ addition so far. But, with his 34th birthday coming up in February, a younger, more expensive centre-forward is likely to be top of their priorities in 2026.
Emegha, though, is one name that can be scrubbed off any prospective wishlist.
“It’s the best thing for my career. I want to go as high as possible, play in the Champions League, the World Cup,” Emegha tells L’Equipe.
“I could have signed for clubs participating in the Champions League this summer, but the overall project of Strasbourg and Chelsea appealed to me.
“Now, I want to guide Racing in Europe. With this group, we started something great, and I wanted to see it through to the end. I’m going to give everything for the club this season.”