Chelsea news: three positives and two disappointments... verdict on five players sent to Strasbourg

Very progressive successful the past summertime transportation window, Strasbourg signed 5 players from Chelsea. A fewer weeks aft their accomplishment successful Alsace, what is the verdict connected their archetypal steps with the club?

Revived by a location thrashing of Auxerre (5-1) aft 4 consecutive defeats, Strasbourg person had a stop-start opening to the season.

Probably not helped by excessively large a squad overhaul successful the past summertime window, with adjacent to £85m (€100m) spent and 17 signings registered, the Alsace nine are suffering the afloat effect of a transportation mistake precocious highlighted by Ismael Doukoure: a sizeable quota of overseas players and not a azygous signing with immoderate Ligue 1 experience.

Among the summertime arrivals, Hugo Oliveira’s broadside signed 5 players from Chelsea, the nine with which Strasbourg stock the aforesaid owner, BlueCo, successful a collaboration designed to marque transactions betwixt the 2 sides easier.

They are Brazilian guardant Deivid Washington, who outgo £13.6m (€16m), English attacking midfielder Omari Kellyman, who outgo £5.1m (€6m), Danish goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen connected loan, Portuguese antiaircraft midfielder Dario Essugo connected indebtedness and Swedish right-back Genesis Antwi connected loan. Five players with radically antithetic playing clip and performances since the commencement of the 2026-27 season.

Three positives and 2 disappointments

A fewer months aft their accomplishment successful France, what verdict tin beryllium drawn? Three positives and 2 disappointments basal out.

On the affirmative side, Dario Essugo has made 4 starts successful 7 appearances, with 2 goals and 1 assist. In presumption of beingness connected the pitch, Filip Jorgensen outstrips the contention with 9 starts successful 9 matches and a presumption strengthened by wearing the captain’s armband successful 3 games. Although helium has not yet kept a cleanable sheet, helium has made 32 saves.

Genesis Antwi, for his part, has started 8 times, with Hugo Oliveira lone leaving him connected the seat against Auxerre. The 19-year-old has conscionable been rewarded for his bully performances with a archetypal call-up to Graham Potter’s Sweden squad for the upcoming planetary interruption and the Nations League matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Poland.

Zero minutes for Strasbourg’s 2nd astir costly signing

For the 2 different Chelsea recruits, however, the verdict is not precise impressive. Deivid Washington, Strasbourg’s 2nd astir costly signing of summertime 2026, has truthful acold been a flop: the Brazilian has inactive not played a azygous minute.

Finally, Omari Kellyman has lone 1 appearance, for conscionable six minutes, successful a 3-0 decision to Rennes connected 25 October. In different words, the pile-up of players successful Strasbourg’s squad has not stopped immoderate from lasting retired portion others stay connected the sidelines. It is 1 mode of weighing up the pros and cons of the club’s immense summertime 2026 recruitment drive.