Chelsea Signs 7-Year Contract with Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes

While Ugochukwu has committed to a seven-year contract, Pochettino has yet to make a final decision on the French midfielder's immediate future. The 19-year-old has an impressive track record with 47 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes and participation in the Europa League.

Pochettino emphasized the need to evaluate Ugochukwu during his training sessions, both today and during the London tour. The manager praised the youngster, stating, "He's a young, talented player. Now is the time to assess him until the end of the transfer window and see if he is going to be with us or if a loan is a possibility."

While Ugochukwu has yet to make his senior debut for France, he has represented Les Bleus at the under-17, under-18, and under-19 levels. A potential return to Ligue 1 for the next season is on the cards due to Chelsea's ownership group obtaining a majority stake in Alsace club Strasbourg in June.

Throughout the transfer window, Chelsea has been actively pursuing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, with an £80 million bid being rejected recently. Pochettino has been vocal about the club's desire to bring in more experienced players to strengthen the squad.

Lesley Ugochukwu featured 47 times in Ligue 1 for Rennes in 2022-23.

Chelsea's transfer strategy focuses on acquiring young talents with the potential to become future stars while streamlining their squad following significant spending amounting to £600 million over the past two transfer windows.

The summer transfer period has seen the departure of players like Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount to Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United respectively. Additionally, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy have made moves to the Saudi Pro League.

Some notable departures include Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic, both of whom transferred to Italian club AC Milan. Furthermore, West Ham United has made a £40 million offer for Conor Gallagher.

Chelsea has already welcomed new attackers Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their squad, as well as the young Brazilian talent Angelo Gabriel.

Ugochukwu is set to be the only new addition to the 29-man squad traveling to the US, and Pochettino expressed contentment with Chelsea's summer recruitment efforts so far. He clarified, "No, I am not disappointed because when we joined we knew we would find this situation."

The Argentine manager praised the club's working dynamics and their commitment to swiftly finalizing the squad. As the transfer window's deadline approaches, Pochettino remains aware that further developments may occur but emphasized the benefits of concluding deals early, stating, "We all know in the last few weeks of the transfer window maybe some things are going to happen. Always it is better to have everything closed before - not only us, for different clubs also."

Read more: Chelsea - Fixtures, tables & standings, players, stats and news