Xabi Alonso blocked a possible loan exit for Chelsea striker Emmanuel Emegha during the final days of the summer transfer window.
Emegha was signed by Chelsea for £21million last year, spending the 2025-26 season on loan at Strasbourg where he scored eight goals in 18 appearances.
The Netherlands international scored in pre-season games against Crawley and Bromley but a hamstring injury ruled him out of the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia.
He was left out of the Chelsea squad for Premier League matches against Fulham and Brighton but was fit enough to take a spot on the bench in the Carabao Cup victory over Luton Town.
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Chelsea cleaned house up front this summer with Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson sold to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa respectively for a combined fee of £115million.
Joao Pedro is Alonso’s first choice striker with Danny Welbeck, who scored in the win over Luton, offering support.
Emegha was targeted for a loan move in the final weeks of the summer transfer window with clubs in Italy and Turkey credited with interest.
Voetbal International however report Alonso made the decision to block a possible loan exit, regarding it as ‘out of the question’.
That stance would suggest Alonso will be ready to give the former Strasbourg striker first-team chances in the coming weeks.
The 23-year-old missed large portions of last season through injury with a hamstring problem ruling him out for nine games.
A muscle tear saw him miss four months of action from December to April, missing 20 games in total, while a dead leg sidelined him for the remaining four games of the season.
Chelsea endured what was ultimately a frustrating deadline day despite finally agreeing a deal to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City.
Monaco’s Lamine Camara was lined up as a replacement but the Ligue 1 side pulled the plug on the deal at the eleventh hour.