RC Strasbourg’s Ismaël Doukouré could end up at Chelsea.
That’s at least what L’Equipe are indicating, and they cover Chelsea when discussing the latest on his contract situation.
The centre-back’s contract expires in 2026 and has rejected the renewal offer proposed by the Ligue 1 club.
Therefore, Strasbourg have demoted him to their reserve team. The possibility of losing money [if the 22-year-old leaves as a free agent] ‘seems trival’ to their owner BlueCo, who also own Chelsea.
It’s claimed BlueCo will sell players if they want to and for the price they decide. L’Equipe say this ‘attitude [is] reminiscent of that of Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy’ when negotiations player sales.
This has already paid off for the French club when selling Habib Diarra to Sunderland for €37m.
They now risk losing Doukouré for nothing at the end of this year. The newspaper says his refusal to sign an extension can result in a ‘tempting prospect to join Chelsea’ on a free transfer next summer.
The Blues have tried to sign him earlier in this window. Another report from L’Equipe explains Chelsea’s negotiations with the French club, despite having the same owner.
With Strasbourg willing to give up on compensation for Doukouré, a move to Chelsea in this window remains unlikely.
Doukouré’s contract situation favours Enzo Maresca’s side to sign him for free in 2026.