Chelsea transfer news: Emanuel Emegha stance 'determined' by Blues amid Liam Delap injury woes

Chelsea have reportedly already decided whether they will speed up the signing of Strasbourg forward Emanuel Emegha.

Earlier this year, the Blues announced that a deal was in place for the Netherlands international to make the switch to Stamford Bridge at some point in 2026.

However, no specifics were mentioned with regards to whether Emegha would leave Strasbourg for West London in January or in the summer.

The topic of Emegha's future has been revisited over the past two days courtesy of the shoulder injury suffered by Liam Delap against Bournemouth at the weekend.

While Chelsea nor Enzo Maresca have provided an official update regarding a timeframe for recovery, it has been alleged that the Englishman could be sidelined for months rather than weeks.

Chelsea make Emegha decision

Therefore, it became plausible that Emegha could be signed by Chelsea in January, particularly when Tyrique George could be sold or loaned out during the same month.

Nevertheless, as per the Daily Mail, Chelsea have no plans to reintegrate Emegha into their squad before 2026-27.

Despite the player's off-the-field issues at Strasbourg, he is in line to remain in France to help the club's efforts in Ligue 1 and the Conference League.

As a result, it appears that Chelsea are prepared to stick with Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, George and Pedro Neto as their central-attacking options for the foreseeable future.

Do Chelsea need a new striker?

Although Chelsea are well-stocked for alternatives in the number nine role, none of their current crop have made the position their own.

Pedro has contributed four goals and three assists from 16 starts and two substitute outings, albeit sometimes featuring in a deeper role.

Guiu has scored once in two starts and eight substitute outings since being recalled from Sunderland. The young Spaniard can only represent the Blues or Black Cats for the rest of the season.

George has three goals and one assist from four starts and six substitute outings. His three goals have come against Lincoln City, Ajax and Wolverhampton Wanderers in cup competitions, while he has only featured for seven minutes since November 6.

While there is an argument that Chelsea could benefit from a new forward, Chelsea's hierarchy will be eager to back the players that they have already signed.