Transfer Centre

Mauricio Pochettino hints at loan move for Lesley Ugochukwu

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 31 July 2023

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino hints that Lesley Ugochukwu will be sent out on loan next season ahead of the 19-year-old's imminent arrival from Rennes.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has dropped a major hint that the Blues are on the brink of signing Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, who is set to leave the club on loan following his arrival.

The Blues are believed to have struck an agreement with their Ligue 1 counterparts to sign the 19-year-old, who will cost the West London club approximately €27m (£23.2m).

Pochettino has been working around a depleted midfield in pre-season, having overseen the departures of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka have held the fort in the engine room during the summer, but Gallagher is the oldest member of that youthful quintet at 23.

Ugochukwu would represent another fledgling addition to the Chelsea midfield, but there have been suggestions that the France Under-19 international could spend the 2023-24 campaign on loan with sister club Strasbourg.

Chimuanya Ugochukwu in action for Rennes on November 3, 2022 © Reuters

Ugochukwu - who primarily operates as a defensive midfielder - would learn from former Premier League-winning lynchpin Patrick Vieira at Strasbourg, and Pochettino has appeared to confirm the youngster's signing and subsequent temporary exit.

When asked by reporters about plans for the Rennes man after their 2-0 Summer Series-clinching win over Fulham, Pochettino responded: "I don't know the information that you have.

"My information is he is a player that is from France that maybe they are signing with the idea to send on some loan, using a different club but that information was already in your laptop. There is nothing to say too much."

Ugochukwu made his first-team Rennes debut shortly after his 17th birthday and has now made 60 appearances for Bruno Genesio's men in all tournaments, scoring one goal and setting up one more.

The 2022-23 season saw the Frenchman set up one goal in 35 games for Rennes, during which he started 14 Ligue 1 matches and a further five games in the Europa League.

Chelsea's new manager Mauricio Pochettino during the press conference on July 7, 2023 © Reuters

Chelsea turned their attention to Ugochukwu after being thwarted in their efforts to agree a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, having apparently failed with a second bid worth up to £80m.

Brighton are demanding a nine-figure fee to let the Ecuadorian leave this summer, and talks between the two clubs have subsequently stalled as Chelsea prioritise alternative targets.

The Blues are also reported to have agreed a deal to sign Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi, who will join Pochettino's side for a €45m (£38.6m) fee as defensive cover following Wesley Fofana's ACL injury.

Disasi and Ugochukwu will follow Christopher Nkunku, Diego Moreira, Nicolas Jackson and Angelo Gabriel to Stamford Bridge, and the West London club are still believed to be working on the signing of Montpellier HSC striker Elye Wahi, who could potentially join Ugochukwu at Strasbourg on loan.

Chelsea cap off their USA tour against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago on Wednesday, before Pochettino's competitive debut in their Premier League opener versus Liverpool on August 13.