Lesley Ugochukwu departs Chelsea after two years, despite signing a seven-year contract.
Burnley have officially announced the acquisition of French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Chelsea for a fee exceeding £20 million.
The 21-year-old has committed to a five-year contract with the Turf Moor club.
Sources indicate that the transfer fee closely mirrors the £23.2 million that Chelsea initially invested to secure Ugochukwu from Rennes in 2023.
“Signing for Burnley is a fantastic feeling,” Ugochukwu stated.
“Upon learning of the club’s interest, I was eager to understand the project’s vision. My conversations with the manager and Maxime [Esteve] revealed their passion for the club and its future direction.”
“This move feels like the ideal step for me at this point in my career, given the club’s ambitious plans.”
Ugochukwu was deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea aims to offload several players from their so-called ‘bomb squad’ – a group of players including prominent England internationals Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell – who are training separately from Enzo Maresca’s first-team squad.
During his time at Chelsea, Ugochukwu made 15 appearances across all competitions in his inaugural season before a season-long loan to Southampton was agreed for the 2024-25 campaign.
Burnley are also reportedly engaged in discussions to sign Chelsea’s 23-year-old forward, Armando Broja.
Sources suggest that the potential transfer could reach a value of £20 million, though the definitive figure remains unconfirmed.
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