Barcelona Sets Sights on Chelsea's New Striker to Replace Aging Lewandowski
Barcelona's search for a future successor to Robert Lewandowski has suffered another setback following reports that the Catalan club was pursuing Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha, who is set to move to Chelsea in the upcoming summer.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Blues had secured a deal with their affiliated club Strasbourg that will bring Emegha to Stamford Bridge for the 2026–27 campaign. The talented Dutch international signed a seven-year deal with Chelsea.
Chelsea are understood to have moved quickly for Emegha, whose outstanding performances in France had drawn interest from clubs throughout Europe, several of which could offer Champions League participation. According to SPORT, Barcelona's sporting director Deco was among those interested parties.
Barcelona are already making preparations for the post-Lewandowski era. The Polish legend is in his final contracted year with the Catalans and, despite coming off a 40-goal campaign, it seems unlikely that Barça will offer him another year's extension. Lewandowski will be 38 next summer.
While acquiring a striker wasn't Barcelona's main focus during the latest transfer period, the club is actively tracking several forwards with future planning in mind, and Emegha was among their targets.
The general expectation is that Barcelona will aim to secure their future striker next summer, with the club anticipating improved finances by that time.
New Manchester United forward Benjamin Šeško was also reportedly on Barcelona's wishlist before his move to Old Trafford. With Emegha becoming another striker to finalize a transfer recently, available options are becoming limited.
Players like Julián Álvarez have been linked with Barcelona, but acquiring him would require a massive financial commitment from the Catalans—similar to other top-tier strikers—and Barcelona haven't demonstrated such spending power lately.
Should Barcelona fail to secure a high-profile striker next summer, the task of replacing Lewandowski in 2026–27 would likely rest with Ferran Torres.