Chelsea are not prepared to accept loan proposals for Lesley Ugochukwu as things stand with the club keen to offload the midfielder on a permanent basis.
Ugochukwu has started just three Premier League games since joining Chelsea from Rennes for a fee of £23.1m in 2023.
Lesley Ugochukwu has a 69.2% take-on success rate in the Premier League this season, the best rate of any midfielder in the competition.
One to keep an eye on this summer. 👁️ pic.twitter.com/Bfzd9K0NM7
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 6, 2025
The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Southampton. He made 26 league appearances as the Saints were relegated from the Premier League.
Several sides have expressed interest in signing the Frenchman this summer, though Chelsea currently have no plans to sanction another loan deal. The West Londoners are keen to offload Ugochukwu on a permanent basis in the current window.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Valencia are among the clubs with interest in the midfielder. There are also Premier League clubs also involved in the race.
Chelsea’s valuation of the player is unclear but the Blues are keen to sanction sales after breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.
Ugochukwu is a player deemed surplus to requirements, given the presence of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia at Stamford Bridge in defensive midfield roles.
Andrey Santos has also returned to Chelsea after an impressive loan spell at Strasbourg last season.
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