Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali blocked Strasbourg starlet’s summer move | OneFootball

Despite hoping for a move away during the summer transfer window, Ismaël Doukouré (21) ultimately remained at RC Strasbourg Alsace.

The France youth international joined Strasbourg from Valenciennes back in 2022 for a fee of under €2m. He has since excelled in Alsace, to the point that he was deemed untransferable this summer, despite significant interest from Wolfsburg. Whilst he is a player counted on by new manager Liam Rosenior, the instruction to retain Doukouré, despite Wolfsburg’s advances, came from above.

L’Équipe understands that the decision came from Behdad Eghbali, co-owner of Chelsea and, by extension, Strasbourg. The publication understands that it was Eghbali himself who was involved in talks with Wolfsburg and informed them of RCSA’s desire to retain the player. That refusal to sell Doukouré, considered a key player, came despite a large off, worth around €18m, landing on Strasbourg’s doorstep. The American owners, however, were not willing to negotiate a transfer.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle