August 01, (THEWILL) – Chelsea have completed the signing of French midfielder, Lesley Ugochukwu, from Rennes, a deal confirmed by the Premier League club on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old talent is believed to have been acquired for a reported fee of approximately £23.1 million as part of Chelsea’s ongoing squad rebuild under the guidance of new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who joined the club earlier in the summer transfer window. Ugochukwu becomes the latest addition to Stamford Bridge, joining fellow new signings Andrey Santos, Nicolas Jackson, Diego Moreira, Angelo Gabriel and Christopher Nkunku.
According to sources monitored by THEWILL, the young midfielder signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, with a club option for an additional year. His transfer marks a significant step in his promising career, with the chance to develop the potential he showed in France’s Ligue 1 while playing for Rennes, who finished fourth in the league and reached the knockout stage of the Europa League last season.
The decision to bring Ugochukwu to Chelsea was met with enthusiasm from the club’s Co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who highlighted his impressive performance as a ball-winning midfielder with excellent possession skills.
Ugochukwu is expected to be loaned out to the French club Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, to further develop his abilities before potentially becoming a part of Pochettino’s first-team plans. It should augur well for a player, who started his football journey at Rennes’ youth system at the tender age of eight. From there, Ugochukwu rapidly progressed through the ranks and made his senior debut shortly after turning 17, becoming the club’s fourth-youngest debutant at the time.
Over the past two seasons, he has solidified his position as a key player for Rennes, amassing an impressive tally of 67 appearances. Additionally, Ugochukwu has represented France at the Under-19 level, a further testament to his quality on the international stage. His move to Chelsea is expected to see him continue his development and make a significant impact in English football under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff if all goes according to plan at Strasbourg.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
