Lesley Ugochukwu signs for Burnley
He's on a five-year contract
Burnley Football Club has confirmed the signing of French midfielder, Lesley Ugochukwu.
The talented 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Turf Moor, joining from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, after the Clarets beat off stiff competition from around the Premier League and Europe for his signature.
In putting pen to paper, Ugochukwu becomes the seventh addition to Scott Parker’s squad this summer.
“It’s a great feeling to sign for Burnley,” said Ugochukwu.
“As soon as I was made aware of the club’s interest in signing me, I was keen to hear more about the project. I spoke to the manager and Maxime (Estève) – they were both so passionate about the club and the direction it’s heading in. It feels like this is the perfect move for me at this stage of my career with the ambition the club is showing.
“It’s a really exciting time to be here and I can’t wait to get started. I’m really excited to pull on the Burnley shirt in the Premier League.”
Ugochukwu joined Chelsea from Rennes in the summer of 2023, penning a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge.
He would make 15 appearances, six from the start, in his first season with the Blues, before a loan spell at Southampton last term.
Ugochukwu was one of the shining lights in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Saints, with the young midfielder featuring 31 times in all competitions, scoring one goal, in a Player of the Match appearance against West Ham United in April.
Before his move to England, Ugochukwu joined the Rennes youth system at eight years-old and made his senior debut just after his 17th birthday. He became the club’s fourth-youngest debutant at the time.
His first Ligue 1 start came a fortnight later against Paris Saint-Germain, where he impressed playing against Neymar that night.
Ugochukwu left Rennes in August 2023 having made 67 appearances.
Having been a France Under-19 international prior to joining Chelsea, Ugochukwu moved up to play for the Under-21s in European championship qualifiers soon after becoming a Blue.