Emmanuel Emegha rejected ten offers this summer – Strasbourg president Marc Keller

President of Strasbourg Marc Keller has revealed Dutch-Nigeria forward Emmanuel Emegha rejected several clubs during the summer transfer window to stay in France.

Emegha was a subject of interest for multiple clubs in Europe, having showcased top performance for Strasbourg last season.

According to Keller, Emegha turned down ten offers in the summer, before agreeing a deal to join Premier League giants, Chelsea at the end of the 2025/26 football campaign.

“When Emmanuel arrived here, he was being chased by all the big clubs in England and Germany – thanks to BlueCo, he came to Strasbourg,” Keller said as quoted by RMC Sport.

“After a remarkable second season, we received approaches from Italy, England, and Germany. We sat down with the player, his agent, the owners and myself. The priority was to keep him, because he is a striker, a leader, he carries everyone with him. We found an equilibrium: he will join Chelsea in a year, but in the meantime, he stays with us.”

“The player made efforts. He wanted to stay. For a player who turned down ten offers, it’s important that people know he is totally committed. I don’t want him to be whistled – he doesn’t deserve it. If he has a bad game, that’s football, but not on this subject.”

Emegha joined Strasbourg from Sturm Graz in 2023 and has since become one of the most highly-rated forwards in Ligue 1, earning the captain’s armband this summer.

He was the subject of fan protests during Strasbourg’s last home game against Le Havre, as Ultra Boys displayed a banner reading “Emegha, pawn of BlueCo. After changing shirt, give back your captain’s armband”.