Chelsea open talks to sign 22-year-old Dutch international with 14 league goals this season: Reports

Chelsea have initiated conversations to sign the Dutch international Emanuel Emegha. A report in Foot Mercato mentions the club is speaking to the player regarding a long-term contract.

Strasbourg bought Emegha for €13 million in 2023. His current value, as per Transfermarkt is €20 million. Negotiations between the two clubs will not be a problem, courtesy of them sharing the same ownership - the BlueCo consortium.

Another Premier League club, Newcastle United, have also shown interest in Emegha. This development is expected to raise the stakes. Notably, Emegha himself has the desire to play in the Premier League. This deal to England can help him secure a place in the Netherlands national team, something he was deprived of despite his top performances.

Chelsea have monitored Emegha for quite some time and are impressed by his statistics. He is currently the fastest player in Ligue 1 with a speed of 37.72 km/hr. The 22-year-old is also able to register around 25 sprints on average in a game; the average for an attacker in Ligue 1 is 10.

However, the most important statistic is his goal-scoring abilities. He has recorded 14 goals and three assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances this term. Enzo Maresca needs a prolific striker up front, and the Blues believe Emegha can be that missing piece of the puzzle.

Chelsea in dire need of a prolific No.9

Chelsea have kept their eyes on formidable striking options in the market. Arsenal's top target - Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and Galatasaray's attacking ace Victor Osimhen are two players who have been linked with the Blues in recent times.

The reason behind their search for a new No.9 is the form of Nicolas Jackson and probable exit of Christopher Nkunku. Jackson has netted 10 goals in the Premier League. But the second half of the season has seen him remain silent.

Nkunku was deployed at times. But he managed only three goals in the limited 910 minutes of game time. Cole Palmer, who plays as an attacking midfielder, is the club's top scorer in the Premier League with 15 goals. This situation demands a prolific goal-scorer to be added to their arsenal.

Chelsea have a probability of participating in the UEFA Champions League next season. They will play the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Real Betis on May 28. A win will help them get into the top tier of European football. This can also help them lure top strikers to join the side.

About the author

Sattyik is a football writer at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience. He has completed his post-graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication (MA), and has previously worked for Khel Now and also Sportskeeda’s Indian Sports and Indian Football division.

Sattyik has been following the sport since his childhood as his parents are ardent Mohun Bagan supporters and also members of the club. He has, however, been supporting their rivals East Bengal since 2008. He was also part of a local football academy, specializing in central defense, but had to switch focus to studies. Among European teams, he follows Manchester United and their stalwart captain Nemanja Vidic.

Sattyik has interviewed multiple footballers like Alberto Noguera, Javier Siverio, Edu Bedia among others. He is always on the lookout for new stories and strives to share them within appropriate timelines.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are Sattyik’s other favorite footballers. Among managers, he admires Sir Alex Ferguson, Xabi Alonso, Carlo Ancelotti, Johan Cruyff and Jose Mourinho because of their achievements and how they revolutionized the sport.

Sattyik was inspired by the grit and determination shown by Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final as they came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the trophy. When not working, he enjoys his time with books and music.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi