Chelsea have agreed a deal in principle to sign Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu.
Chelsea are set to complete the signing of Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu for a fee close to €27m.He is 19yrs old and plays as a defensive midfielder for the french side. He is of Nigerian descent, but born and raised in Rennes, France.
The 19yrs old talented french midfielder made his professional debut for Rennes in on 25th April for Rennes, when he came on as a substitute for experienced Stevn Nzonzi. He went on to make 47 appearances for Rennes scoring one goal. He is also a member of france U19 team.
Lesley can play as a Central Midfielder but his natural position is defensive midfielder. He is strong, versatile and hard tackler. Comfortable with the ball, can receive the ball under pressure and make progressive passes in tight spaces. He is the definition of modern day defensive midfielder.
Chelsea have been tracking Lesley Ugochukwu for a very long time and scouted him in France between November and February. There was a feeling other clubs would move for him soon, so they acted fast and agreed a €27million deal with Rennes.
?? Lesley Ugochukwu 25+ successful tackles (28), successful interceptions (29) and made 30+ blocks (31) for Rennes inside just 20 starts during the 2022/23 campaign. He also completed 15+ take-ons (15) during that time. Lesley is that destructive force in midfield.
Chelsea have been in the market, searching of a young energetic defensive midfielder as they try to rebuild their midfield options after the departure of their main midfielders this summer. Moises Caicedo is their main target for the defensive midfielder role,but Lesley will be a great addition to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Chelsea are yet to decide whether he stays with the first team or moves on loan to their co team Racing Strasbourg.
