Chelsea face Strasbourg DISASTER as three deals in jeopardy

Tom Weber

Updated: 22 Apr 2025 13:10 BST
4 min read

Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Chelsea, Strasbourg — © IMAGO

Sister club Strasbourg once more feature prominently in Chelsea's planning for the summer window, but there is still no guarantee that they will be able to trade players.

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French outlet L'Equipe has provided an in-depth look into Strasbourg's planned summer business after what has been a surprisingly successful season for the BlueCo-owned side.

The Alsatians have slipped out of the European places in Ligue 1 due to back-to-back draws, but Strasbourg are still in with a chance of qualifying for every UEFA competition, including the Champions League.

This has made some of their players highly sought-after commodities, and the report states that the likes of Habib Diarra, a player previously earmarked as a future Chelsea midfielder, and Ismael Doukoure could leave the club this summer.

Strasbourg, it is claimed, need to raise funds in the upcoming window, and Diarra, in particular, could fetch a handsome fee amid interest from Brighton and Everton. Doukoure, meanwhile, already wanted out last year and is being courted by Bayer Leverkusen.

Chelsea-Strasbourg pipeline blocked?

Perhaps more intriguing for Chelsea fans is what the outlet states with regard to potential business between the Blues and their French affiliate. With Andrey Santos set to return to Stamford Bridge this summer, Chelsea could send January signing Mathis Amougou to Strasbourg to replace the Brazilian.

Additionally, Kendry Paez could stay in Alsace. The Ecuadorian wonderkid is already training with Strasbourg to help him acclimatise to European football, and he could remain in France beyond the summer.

Lastly, there could also be movement on the goalkeeper front. Djordje Petrovic has enjoyed a brilliant season at Strasbourg and is expected to be given a second chance by Enzo Maresca this summer.

This, in turn, could mean that another of Chelsea's goalkeepers replaces him. Filip Jorgensen, who has failed to supplant the much-maligned Robert Sanchez, could be sent to France.

Alternatively, incoming youngster Mike Penders could be loaned to Strasbourg. He was signed for €20 million - after just two senior appearances - last summer and remained at Genk for the season. The Belgian club are interested in keeping him for another year, but could be overruled by Chelsea.

All of the above could become moot, however, if both BlueCo clubs qualify for the same UEFA competition. The governing body has vowed to clamp down on multi-club ownership in its tournaments, but it is expected that Chelsea and Strasbourg will be given the same exceptional treatment that other clubs have received in recent years.

Rather than one team being flat-out banned from the competition, Chelsea and Strasbourg could simply be forced to sever ties for the 2025/26 season. This would allow both to compete, but it would also mean that they could not trade players, ruining BlueCo's summer plans.

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