After an impressive display last season, the talented 19-year-old has sealed a remarkable seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea has finalized the signing of French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes, as officially confirmed by the Premier League club on Tuesday afternoon.
The 19-year-old’s transfer is estimated to have cost around £23.1 million as part of Chelsea’s ongoing squad reconstruction under the guidance of their new manager, Mauricio Pochettino who joined the team earlier in the summer.
Ugochukwu becomes the latest addition to Stamford Bridge, following the arrivals of Andrey Santos, Nicolas Jackson, Diego Moreira, Angelo Gabriel, and Christopher Nkunku during this transfer window.
“The 19-year-old joins on a seven-year contract, with a club option of a further year. He has moved from his hometown club Rennes, for whom he was a regular last season as they finished fourth in France’s Ligue 1 and made the knockout stage of the Europa League”, a statement read on the club’s official website.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley also said: “We’re delighted Lesley is joining Chelsea. He is an impressive young player who has already made his mark in Ligue 1. He has a huge amount of potential and we know he is going to continue to develop and improve. We are pleased that he has joined us in the U.S. and that he will be able to integrate with the squad quickly.”
Ugochukwu has built a solid reputation as a skilled ball-winning midfielder with an excellent ability to maintain possession. His football journey began at a young age when he joined the Rennes youth system at just eight years old.
Remarkably, he made his senior debut shortly after turning 17, becoming the French club’s fourth-youngest debutant at that time. During his time at Rennes, the Under-19 international has solidified his position as a consistent and reliable player, making a notable 67 appearances for the club over the past two seasons.
