Nigerian-born French midfielder, Lesley Ugochukwu, has left Chelsea on loan to another Premier League club, Southampton.
Chelsea confirmed the season-long loan of Lesley Ugochukwu in a statement released ahead of their Premier League opener against Manchester City.
The statement expressed the club’s commitment to monitoring and supporting Ugochukwu’s progress during his loan at Southampton and wished him the best of luck in this new chapter.
Ugochukwu, who joined Chelsea last summer from Rennes, made 15 appearances during his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
The 20-year-old showcased his skills by scoring against Wrexham and Inter Milan during Chelsea’s pre-season summer tour of the United States.
This loan move to Southampton presents an opportunity for Ugochukwu to further develop his talents and gain valuable experience in the competitive environment of the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said it might be in the best interest of the club’s defender, Ben Chilwell, to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Chilwell, who has struggled with injuries at Chelsea, has found himself lower in the pecking order for the left-back position.
Despite Maresca’s admiration for Chilwell’s abilities, he acknowledged the challenges the player is facing in finding the right position within the squad.
During the pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s game against Manchester City, Maresca disclosed Chilwell’s recent absence from training due to illness.
“Chilly is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill,” Maresca said.
“The reason he did not play [in our pre-season friendly] versus Inter was because, with Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position.
“This morning, we had 22 players training, and if you ask all of them, they will say they want to play against City on Sunday. But that is impossible.
“When you train every day and do not get any minutes it is not good for them or me.
“I need to make a decision and probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we will see what happens.”
Note that Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge will kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 18.
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