Chimuanya Lesley Ugochukwu (// ⓘ; born 26 March 2004) is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Southampton, on loan from Chelsea.[4]

Club career

Rennes

Ugochukwu made his professional debut for Rennes on 25 April 2021, replacing Steven Nzonzi in a 5–1 Ligue 1 win against Dijon.[5]

Chelsea

On 1 August 2023, Ugochukwu signed for Chelsea on a seven-year contract, with a club option for an additional year.[6] The transfer fee paid to Rennes was reported as up to £23.1 million.[7] On 13 August, he made his debut for the club, coming on as a substitute, in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League.[8]

Southampton (loan)

On 16 August 2024, Ugochukwu joined English side Southampton on a season-long loan.[9] He made his debut for the club on 28 August 2024 in a 5–3 away victory against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup.[10]

Personal life

Born in France, Ugochukwu is of Igbo Nigerian descent and holds dual nationality.[11][12] Ugochukwu is the nephew of former Rennes and Nigeria centre-back Onyekachi Apam.[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 2 April 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rennes B 2020–21 Championnat National 3 5 0 — — — 5 0
Rennes 2020–21 Ligue 1 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 0
2021–22 Ligue 1 18 1 0 0 — 4[c] 0 22 1
2022–23 Ligue 1 26 0 2 0 — 7[d] 0 35 0
Total 47 1 2 0 — 11 0 60 1
Chelsea 2023–24[14] Premier League 12 0 0 0 3 0 — 15 0
Total 12 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 15 0
Southampton (loan) 2024–25[15] Premier League 19 0 2 0 3 0 — 24 0
Career total 83 1 4 0 6 0 11 0 104 1
  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

  1. ^ "2024/25 Updated Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Lesley Ugochukwu". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Lesley Ugochukwu". Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  4. ^ Lesley Ugochukwu at Soccerway. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Résultat et résumé Rennes – Dijon, Ligue 1 Uber Eats, 34e journée, Dimanche 25 Avril 2021". L'Équipe (in French). Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Ugochukwu becomes a Blue". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Chelsea transfer news: Blues agree £23.1m deal to sign Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes". Sky Sports. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  8. ^ Boswell, Zinny (13 August 2023). "Chelsea 1–1 Liverpool: Mauricio Pochettino's side fight back to draw his first Premier League game in charge". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Lesley Ugochukwu completes loan move to Saints". Southampton FC. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  10. ^ Mitchelmore, Ian (28 August 2024). "Cardiff City 3–5 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Rohr Identifies 16 Year Old Rennes Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu As Alternative To Ndidi". 8 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Lesley UGOCHUKWU". unfp.org. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  13. ^ Christenson, Marcus (7 October 2021). "Next Generation 2021: 60 of the best young talents in world football". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Games played by Lesley Ugochukwu in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Games played by Lesley Ugochukwu in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Ugochukwu
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