Chelsea: 6 foot 3 wonderkid 'alongside Caicedo' exciting at Stamford Bridge

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·23 September 2023

Chelsea: 6 foot 3 wonderkid 'alongside Caicedo' exciting at Stamford Bridge

Highlights

Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has impressed and earned a place in the first-team squad, starting his first Premier League game against Bournemouth.
Ugochukwu's physical presence in the midfield adds something different to the team, and he could become a reliable player for Chelsea.
However, with the return of injured midfielders like Caicedo and Lavia, Ugochukwu's playing time may be limited, making a loan move a possibility for his continued development.

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Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is the kind of 'mid-range signing' that Mauricio Pochettino needed, according to journalist Dean Jones, who has made an intriguing claim when also discussing Moises Caicedo to GIVEMESPORT.

The young midfielder was originally expected to go out on loan, but has been involved with the first-team squad.

Chelsea news - Lesley Ogochukwu

Ugochukwu signed for the Blues during the summer transfer window for a fee of around £23m, as per Sky Sports. The 19-year-old appeared to be yet another young talent signed by Todd Boehly and his recruitment team who we were unlikely to sign featuring in a Chelsea shirt. Pochettino discussed the midfielder after he moved to Stamford Bridge, admitting that a loan away from the club was a possibility during the summer transfer window...

"He's a young, talented player. We don't know if he will have the possibility to play tomorrow [during pre-season] because we need to assess him. Now is time to assess him until the end of the transfer window and see if he is going to be with us or the way the club signed, maybe it can be a different possibility to loan or stay with us. We need to assess him when he starts training with us today and then in London after the tour."

However, Ugochukwu eventually stayed at the club and has started to feature under Pochettino. The French midfielder started his first game of the Premier League season on the weekend against Bournemouth, and certainly did his chances of cementing a regular place in the first-team squad no harm.

Caicedo and Romeo Lavia missed the game due to injury, so it was a perfect chance for the 19-year-old to impress and give Pochettino something to think about. Whether Ugochukwu will keep his shirt when the likes of Caicedo and Lavia return remains to be seen, but his physical presence in the middle of the park gives them something a little different. Considering the money Chelsea have spent under Boehly, the addition of Ugochukwu might have gone slightly under the radar.

Ugochukwu is one of those players - Dean Jones

Enzo Fernandez is undoubtedly one of the first names on the teamsheet at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea will have plenty of options when their squad is fully fit. Ugochukwu is a player who likes to sit a little deeper and protect the back four, which could give license to others to get forward and express themselves.

Jones has suggested that Ugochukwu is the type of 'mid-range' signing that Chelsea need to help build the squad, not just the top level players who cost a fortune. The journalist adds that he's excited to see the young midfielder alongside Caicedo in a Chelsea shirt this season. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"Yeah people always look at the top level signings and the numbers around those as the players that are going to define how good the squad is. But what we sometimes miss is the mid-range signings that are made to actually build out a squad. They actually sometimes end up becoming players that you can rely on and merge into stars. Ugochukwu is one of those players that can actually become that. Imagine him alongside Caicedo, that's what I'm looking forward to seeing."

If Chelsea's injury list wasn't so hefty, then there's a chance that Ugochukwu could have gone out on loan during the summer transfer window. However, the youngster clearly impressed in pre-season, and considering the poor performance of the west London club as a whole this campaign, there's a chance for Ugochukwu to prove himself and become a regular under Pochettino.

Will Ugochukwu leave Chelsea on loan in January?

When Caicedo, Lavia, Conor Gallagher, Fernandez, and Carney Chukwuemeka are all fit, Ugochukwu could find it difficult to play regularly. Of course, the young midfielder could go on and become undroppable over the next few weeks, but at the age of 19, he's going to show signs of inconsistency.

Playing consistently is what Ugochukwu, who has been described as a 'wonderkid', needs in order to continue his development and reach his full potential, so considering the comments made by Pochettino in the summer, hinting about a temporary move away from the club, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him leave on loan.