Emmanuel Emegha, who currently plays for Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, will be a name soon to be familiar among Premier League aficionados given the 22-year-old is set to complete a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer after Chelsea pre-agreed a deal in September. For now, though, Emegha has been suspended by his current employers after failing to respect club values, expectations, and rules.
Born and raised in Den Haag in the Netherlands, Emegha is the latest centre-forward product from Sturm Graz (a club he joined from Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2022 for a lowly fee) and he'll put pen to paper on a seven-year contract with Enzo Maresca's Blues.
Certainly one to watch in the future, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Emegha was on the radar of many a Premier League club – including Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Crystal Palace – before a deal was announced for him to join Chelsea in the summer of 2026. Last season, he plundered a career-best return in Ligue 1 by scoring 14 goals in just 27 games.
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Tactics and discipline have seemingly gone back in time this season as set-piece goals and red cards are back in vogue.
Emegha Suspended by Strasbourg For 'Failing to Respect Club Values'
emegha netherlands
Following Habib Diarra's move to Sunderland over the summer months, Emegha was handed the responsibility of being Strasbourg's captain. The young centre-forward, having scored seven goals in 11 appearances thus far in 2024/25, has taken to the role like a duck to water – but the recent revelation has thrown a spanner in the works. He also recently made his debut for the Netherlands.
Despite his experience – or lack thereof – Emegha is a vital cog in Strasbourg's plans. He's a tidy finisher and ruthless when running with the ball, but what is most striking about him is his ridiculous speed. The Dutchman's turn of pace reduces the margin for error for defenders as he can pounce quicker than most, causing havoc for mistake-prone opposition.
Emmanuel Emegha
Club
Strasbourg
Sparta Rotterdam
Sturm Graz
Royal Antwerp
Strasbourg, currently managed by former Premier League defender Liam Rosenior, have ruthlessly decided that he will not be involved in their game against Toulouse – who are currently one place behind them in the French top flight standings – this weekend. Emegha has been axed from their plans after issues behind the scenes.
Although Strasbourg did not provide the specific details behind Emegha's suspension, the Ligue 1 club released the following as part of their press release: “RC Strasbourg Alsace have decided to suspend Emanuel Emegha for the next Ligue 1 Match, this Saturday at Toulouse.
"This decision was taken after the player recently failed not respect the values and expectations set in the club’s rules. Le Racing reaffirms its commitment to its key principles of exemplarity and respect for the collective. Emanuel remains an important member of the team, who has always given everything on the pitch. He will be reintegrated into the squad after this match. No further comment will be made.”
Rosenior's side travel to Toulouse on Saturday evening for an 18:00 (GMT) kick-off as they look to continue making pace on the European spots for next season. How long Emegha will be sidelined for remains unknown at the time of writing, but Strasbourg return to Europa Conference League action on December 11 and will need his firepower to defeat Abderdeen.
emegha chelea
Reports have claimed that Emegha was the centre of the attention, and not in a positive manner, since it was announced that he'd be making the France-to-England switch over the summer. Fans of BlueCo-owned Strasbourg were severely critical of his decision, while he also made some comments to the media in recent weeks, which have raised some eyebrows. He said:
"To be honest, I didn't even know where that [Strasbourg] was. I thought it was in Germany, but it turned out to be in France. Well, I think everyone knows Strasbourg now," the young and talented hitman said while on international duty under Ronald Koeman. He played 28 minutes across the Netherlands' two matches against Poland and Lithuania in November.
When he joins Chelsea in 2026, there is uncertainty over how much game time he will get. Joao Pedro is doubtlessly Maresca's go-to choice at the sharp end of the pitch and Liam Delap looks to be playing second fiddle to the Brazilian. Nicolas Jackson is also set to return from his season-long loan at Bayern Munich – which begs the question: when will Emegha get the chance to impress?
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 03/12/2025