Strasbourg have wrapped up the signing of a central defender who could end up at Chelsea in the near future.
Chelsea and Strasbourg are both owned by BlueCo and have already done plenty of trading with each other.
For example, the Blues sent both Andrey Santos and Djordje Petrovic to Strasbourg on loan last summer, while they could sign Emanuel Emegha from the French club in the next transfer window.
Last week, it was reported that Chelsea have held contract discussions with Emegha as they look to bring in a new striker.
CJ Egan-Riley set to join Strasbourg
Another player who could make the move from Strasbourg to Chelsea one day is Burnley’s CJ Egan-Riley.
Egan-Riley is out of contract at the end of the season, and transfer insider Graeme Bailey has exclusively told The Chelsea Chronicle that the 22-year-old has now signed a deal with Strasbourg with a view of joining Chelsea at some point in the future.
On the Burnley star, Bailey said: “I am told that BlueCo has secured the signing of Egan-Riley — he has put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal.
“He will join Strasbourg, but this is a deal done with the intention that he could very well end up at Stamford Bridge. He is an England Under-21 international and Liam Rosenior was pushing to get him.
“If he performs and fulfils his potential then there is a pathway for him to join Chelsea, but his first thoughts will be on Strasbourg, no doubt.
“But could he one day be back alongside his friend and former Manchester City colleague Cole Palmer — who he won the FA Youth Cup with, I wouldn’t rule it out.”
In the meantime, Chelsea are likely to turn to a Premier League star to improve their central defence. Chelsea want Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, but there are now fears that they will miss out on him to Real Madrid.
If that happens, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi remains an alternative for Chelsea, though he also has other suitors.
What Pep Guardiola once said about CJ Egan-Riley
Egan-Riley was rated highly by Pep Guardiola when he was still at City, with the 54-year-old claiming that his former player does not make mistakes.
After one Champions League game in 2022, Guardiola said (via Sky Sports): “He’s a guy who is a seven — there’s nothing exceptional in anything, but that is a good sign as a defender. He doesn’t make mistakes.”
Egan-Riley played a big part in Burnley’s promotion to the Premier League, making just over 40 appearances in the Championship this term.
His development at the Clarets has gone well, but it looks like the former City man has now accepted a new challenge elsewhere. And if things go to plan for him at Strasbourg, then a move to Chelsea may not be far away.
