The thinking behind Emegha's 2026 move to Chelsea

Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha signed a pre-agreement with Chelsea at the end of last week, but it had been a battle for the French club to keep hold of the 22-year-old since spring.

Talks began months ago to ward off interest from rival Premier League and Champions League clubs, with Emegha's previous contract expiring in 2028.

He was given the captain's armband going into Strasbourg's first season in Europe for 10 years.

The decision was ultimately made to keep him in Ligue 1 until 2026 to give him time to polish his game further and push into the Netherlands' World Cup squad next summer.

Meanwhile, he became part of Chelsea's long-term plan, built on positive relationships behind the scenes - and the move, on a seven-year deal, was finalised swiftly over 48 hours in London last week.

It is one of the reasons the Blues opted against signing a replacement for an injured Liam Delap, allowed Nicolas Jackson to move to Bayern Munich on a loan that could become permanent and recall Marc Guiu from Sunderland instead.

However, Strasbourg's ultras fan group - currently a loud minority at La Meinau - held up a banner during Sunday's 1-0 win over Le Havre reading: "Emegha, BlueCo pawn. After changing your shirt, give back your armband."

Manager Liam Rosenior, who has enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, said: "Emanuel Emegha was devastated and so was I.

"Seeing banners against one of the best players last season is unacceptable. My players deserve much more."