Chelsea on the verge of signing £23.2m Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu
Chelsea Close to Signing French Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu
In a stunning development for Chelsea Football Club, reports suggest that the London-based team is on the verge of securing the services of highly-talented French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes. The deal, rumored to be worth a staggering 27 million euros (£23.2m), could potentially bolster Chelsea’s midfield options.
Ugochukwu, aged only 19 but already an experienced player with 47 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt for Rennes, has also showcased his skills in European competition by featuring in the prestigious Europa League tournament. Although he is yet to make his senior debut for France at international level, Ugochukwu has represented his nation admirably at various youth levels including under-17s, under-18s and under-19s.
The potential acquisition of Ugochukwu aligns perfectly with Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s recent comments about strengthening their midfield department. However, it should be noted that if this transfer materializes successfully as expected, there are strong indications that Ugochukwu might immediately be loaned out to Strasbourg – another club associated with Chelsea’s ownership group following their majority stake purchase earlier this year.
This move comes as part of Chelsea’s larger strategy to sign young talents who possess immense potential and can pave their way towards becoming future stars in world football. Additionally, it serves as an opportunity for the club to trim down their squad after spending a staggering £600 million in the past two transfer windows.
As part of this restructuring process, several notable players have already left Chelsea during the current transfer window. The likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount have departed for Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United respectively. Similarly, N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy have moved on to play in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League. Notably, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have made high-profile switches to Italian giants AC Milan.
Apart from pursuing Ugochukwu’s signature, Chelsea has reportedly shown interest in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo but so far had their bids rejected. On another front, West Ham has allegedly tabled a tempting £40 million offer for young talent Conor Gallagher.
In terms of additions to their attacking options this summer window, Chelsea has successfully secured deals for Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson while also bringing Brazilian youngster Angelo Gabriel into their ranks.