Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes for €27m (£23.1m). The Blues are yet to decide whether the 19-year-old will go into Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team squad or go out on loan. A temporary move to Strasbourg, the Ligue 1 side in which Chelsea own a majority stake, has been mooted. Ugochukwu came through the academy at Rennes and has gone on to make 60 appearances for the club, including 35 in all competitions last season.
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The 19-year-old predominantly plays as a holding midfielder and has won six caps for France U19s. Ugochukwu’s arrival would continue the overhaul of Chelsea’s midfield, with Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante all leaving the club this summer.
Brighton reject Chelsea’s £80m bid for Caicedo
Earlier this week, Brighton rejected a second, increased offer from Chelsea for midfielder Moises Caicedo worth £80m. Last week, the Seagulls snubbed a £70m offer from Chelsea for a player they value in the region of £100m.
Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is wanted by Chelsea
One source had told Sky Sports News that Brighton value Caicedo, who was signed from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle for £4.5m in 2021, in the same bracket as Arsenal’s record signing Declan Rice and will look to get in the region of £100m for him. It is thought Chelsea were getting encouragement that the 21-year-old would join them if a deal can be agreed between the clubs, with personal terms not expected to be a problem. Sky Sports News understands there are no active talks between the clubs currently.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland? Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
