Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure has been removed from the first team as talks with Chelsea have come to a standstill, according to French media.
It has been a turbulent two years for Strasbourg since BlueCo acquired a stake in the club in 2023. Heavily protested by fans, the first season under the Chelsea owners was one that saw the Alsatians battle relegation.
However, the second campaign, spearheaded by talented coach Liam Rosenior, was hugely encouraging as Strasbourg were in with a chance of Champions League qualification right until the end of the season, ultimately just falling short and dropping into the Conference League.
Even the staunchest critics of BlueCo will have to admit that Strasbourg have, at least in some ways, benefited from the takeover, even if the criticism that the Ligue 1 outfit have been relegated to the status of a farm team is completely justified.
This summer alone, five players have moved from Chelsea to Strasbourg, with two of these deals completed permanently to circumvent loan regulations. However, there is one transfer that has not come off.
Contract rebel Doukoure banished
According to L’Equipe, highly-rated Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure has been ‘invited’ to train with the club’s reserves after talks with Chelsea yielded no results.
The ambitious 22-year-old has been a bit of a thorn in Strasbourg’s side for the past year. Last summer, Doukoure sought to push through a move to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, but his club blocked the move.
As a result, the versatile defender is refusing to sign a contract extension, which has now seen him banished from the first team. The report suggests that BlueCo tried to give him a pathway to Chelsea in a bid to keep him in their orbit, but this undertaking has clearly failed.
Doukoure is fully fit and previously took part in pre-season, and the report stresses that his exile is not even necessarily a disciplinary measure; it is more to exert pressure on him to either extend his contract or to speed up his search for a new club.
He only has a year left on his deal, and with no renewal seemingly forthcoming, BlueCo don’t want to lose him for nothing. It is said that there is interest in Doukoure, but concrete offers have yet to materialise.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
