Chelsea have pulled ahead of six Premier League rivals in the race to sign Strasbourg winger Gessime Yassine, according to emerging reports. It has been suggested that the Blues are determined to bring the 20-year-old Moroccan to Stamford Bridge, and that the player is interested in the switch.
Brighton, Newcastle United, Sunderland, Brentford, Everton and Nottingham Forest have all watched Yassine’s progress this season, but Chelsea have a clear advantage. After all, the BlueCo consortium owns both the Blues and Strasbourg.
The links were intensified last week when former Chelsea goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon told Ouest-France that Yassine is “practically” at Chelsea already. Other sources have also reported the Blues are finalising an offer, though no deal has been officially announced.
Born in France, the left-footed right winger represents Morocco and was part of the squad at the 2026 World Cup. After joining Strasbourg from Ligue 2 side Dunkerque in January for around €7m, he has blossomed into a key player for the Alsace club this season after a slow start.
His first goals for his new club came in a brace against Lens in August, and he has two goals and two assists in his past seven Ligue 1 starts.
A move would follow a well-trodden path between the two BlueCo clubs, with Mamadou Sarr joining Chelsea in 2025 before being loaned back to Strasbourg. Emanuel Emegha and Valentin Barco both joined West London this summer. Chelsea paid £34m for Barco, while former Strasbourg captain Emegha is still awaiting his Chelsea debut after an injury setback.
Christophe Lollichon: The Former Chelsea Coach Behind the Yassine Claim
Lollichon’s comments carry weight because of his long association with Chelsea. He joined the club from Rennes in 2007, previously coached Petr Cech, and worked with the club’s goalkeepers for about 15 years.
He joined Dunkerque as goalkeeping coach in 2023, where Yassine spent two years before moving to Strasbourg. In an interview with Ouest-France, he praised the club’s ability to find young talent and give them a platform to shine in their careers.
Lollichon also revealed former owner Roman Abramovich looked into Nantes as a potential feeder club for Chelsea. The idea never came to fruition, but BlueCo’s ownership of Strasbourg has seen a similar plan take shape.