Mercato: How Emanuel Emegha (RC Strasbourg) was followed and then recruited by Strasbourg before exploding this season

From Arouca, a pretty and peaceful Portuguese city located an hour's drive from Porto, Amadou Dante (24) is not aware of what Emanuel Emegha does with Racing this season, with thirteen scored goals, the last against Nice (2-2) last weekend and two assists. The Malian international defender, loaned for the 2024-2025 season to FC Arouca by Sturm Graz, played in Austria for a year with the Dutch scorer (2022-2023), where he had scored 9 goals in the Bundesliga and another in the group of the Europa League, against the Danes of Midtjylland (1-0, September 8, 2022) daytime.

“I remember it very well, because it was I who had delivered the assistexplains Dante. He had arrived during the summer transfer window, after a complicated passage to the Royal Antwerp, in Belgium (one game played), A little out of shape, but he had worked a lot to come back in the blow.“

This goal against the Danes, scored three weeks after the opening of his championship counter with a double registered against Altach (4-0), had definitely launched his season. “”The coach game system Christian Itzer (now in Hoffenheim, Germany), Very offensive, suited him very well, as is the case this season in Strasbourg. And Emanuel, who was aware that he had to improve in the finish, worked a lot before the goal in training. Mentally, he's a very strong person “continues Amadou Dante.

But contrary to what one could assume, it was not the good statistics of the player, born in the Hague of a Nigerian mother and a Togolese father who abandoned him at birth, in the Austria Championship (9 goals, 2 assists) who suddenly aroused the interest of RC Strasbourg. Loïc Désiré, the responsible for the club's recruitment unit, has been following Emegha for a few years, and more particularly when the attacker was playing in Sparta Rotterdam, Eredivisie.

“It is a quality championship, which we observe carefully, he explains. In Sparta, Emegha signed her first professional contract, played his first matches there. He was still very young, with a lot to improve. But his profile was interesting: great (1,95 m), Rather fast, technically good, and hardworking. “ Alsatian recruiters continue to follow the evolution of the left-hander, whether during Austrian Bundesliga matches or selection of the Netherlands under 20, especially during a tournament in Marbella (Spain).

“We then estimated that we had to make a proposal, because Emanuel seemed ripe to cross a milestone and play in a European top 5 club “, continues the Alsatian leader. Blueco, the Anglo-American consortium owned Racing since July 2023, validates the operation and pays 13 million euros to the Sturm Graz, the second largest transfer in the history of the club after that of the Ivorian Abakar Sylla, recruited at FC Bruges on July 15 of the same year for 20 million euros.

During his first season in Strasbourg, under the orders of Patrick Vieira, Emegha displays some of his qualities, registering eight goals in Ligue 1 and another in the Coupe de France, seeming to confirm the good intuition of Loïc Désiré and his team. “”I think that his passage through Austria did him a lot of good “intervenes Laurent Jans, the captain of Luxembourg, now under contract with Beveren (Belgium) and who was one of the teammates of Emegha in Sparta.

“He had made an intelligent choice by agreeing to join a less raised championship than that of the Netherlands and after his failure in Antwerp. In Graz, he played, progressed, gained confidence and markedexplains the midfielder. In Sparta, his potential was there, but he had the faults of a young player. For example, he had difficulties in the last gesture, sometimes not knowing whether to shoot or make a pass. Joining a less strong championship to relaunch is a mark of maturity and humility. He took a step back to do two forward.“

In Strasbourg, Emegha has become an essential element in the game system of the English coach Liam Rosenior, where the offensive is a priority. “”He is in a team that plays very well and attacks a lot, it's perfect for him “resumes Amadou Dante. Emanuel Emegha, who quickly took French lessons in order to be able to communicate easily, is completely comfortable in his environment.

Laurent Jans, who got to know Emegha, would not be surprised if his former teammate made the choice to stay an increasing season in Alsace, especially in the event of Racing's participation in the Champions League: “And why not? He would then live a great adventure with his friends, would gain experience and could see his value increase if he rebuilds as good season as the current. “ An argument that the Strasbourg leaders have joined for a few weeks, while the value of the attacker is estimated at 20 million euros …