It is believed that Southampton is on verge of sealing a season-long loan move for Ex Super Eagles defender Onyekachi Apam Nephew Lesley Ugochukwu.
A report by David Ornstein in The Athletic indicates that the move will not be on an option to buy since Chelsea values the French-Nigerian midfielder.
The Blues have likened the potential of the midfielder to be similar to that of Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Chelsea’s Strategic Loan Move
Chelsea considers Ugochukwu as a potential talent, and the club thinks that polishing him under Southampton manager Russell Martin would aid his development.
The loan should be a step up for the youth midfielder, knowing he might struggle to battle it out with other top midfielders in the Chelsea ranks like Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and even Romeo Lavia.
Hence, chances for Ugochukwu to feature at Stamford Bridge may not be very often, which makes it wise for the player to seek a loan spell.
He was struggling last season and had problems such as lack of appearances and injuries during his time at Rennes.
Perhaps a loan to Southampton might afford him the opportunity to acquire the Premier League experience together with the requisite game-time to develop.
A Promising Opportunity at Southampton
Given that Southampton is gearing up for their Premier League season after being promoted through the Championship play-offs, Ugochukwu’s contribution could prove beneficial to the team.
The midfielder has also shown promise during the pre-season for the Chelsea team, scoring a late equalizer against Inter Milan as reported by Sportsbuddy.
Ugochukwu will be hopeful of making similar impact during the coming season, regardless of whether he will be playing for Chelsea or serving a loan spell at Southampton.
