Wanna score goals in transition? Sign Emanuel Emegha
Clubs are lining up for the Strasbourg striker. Who should pull the trigger?
If the transfer rumour mill hints at any indication of reality, there's rarely a moment when the scouting departments of big and upwardly-mobile clubs decide they’re satisfied with their strikers. This looks especially true for the upcoming summer window: Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and more are all on the hunt for a centre-forward.
Enter Emanuel Emegha. The 22-year-old Dutchman is the latest success story from the Sturm Graz Striker Factory, and joined BlueCo-owned Strasbourg in 2023 for a reported €13 million. He's scored 14 goals in 27 appearances this season, translating into 0.55 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes - the 7th-highest in Ligue 1. A young, prolific goalscorer is always bound to attract attention, and Emegha has been linked to a wide variety of clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle United, Roma, Crystal Palace, and West Ham.
Emegha’s performance and the gathering clouds of interest merit a deeper dive. But to do that, we'll need to understand more about Strasbourg, their tactical approach, and the platform the young forward has been given. All this will lead us to a simple conclusion: if you play fast and hard, Emegha should be on your radar. Let's dig in.
• How Strasbourg are one of France's most dynamic sides
• The raw speed and shot volume that makes Emegha so enticing
• ...and the misses that make him less so
• Who's gunna fix him?
How do RC Strasbourg play?
Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg aren’t your typical side in possession. They’re the kind of team that goes from a deep build-up like this…
…to a pseudo-counter-attacking situation like this, within seconds.
Strasbourg are yet another upwardly-mobile side in Europe that look to bait the opposition’s press close to their own goal before suddenly changing tempo and swiftly attacking the space the press leaves behind, creating ‘artificial transitions’. Strasbourg take the highest share of their touches in their own third in the league (40.4%) but also take the 4th-fewest touches in the final third per shot (10.6), indicating how much they move the ball around in their own third yet how quickly they try to get a shot off in the opponent's. As you can see in the plot below, that makes them the mirror image of a more conventional possession-based side like PSG.
As a result, Strasbourg regularly create high-quality chances, with the 3rd-highest xG/shot in the league (0.13).
