La Liga club Valencia will reportedly look to sign 21-year-old French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on loan from Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by The Sun, Lesley Ugochukwu is the subject of interest from Valencia. Los Che will be eager to reinforce the first-team squad by signing a young holding midfielder before the summer transfer window. So, the 21-year-old Chelsea outcast has emerged as a target for the struggling La Liga giants.
However, Valencia would prefer to sign the young Frenchman on loan from Chelsea in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the Blues have slapped a price tag of £20 million to part ways with Ugochukwu, who has returned to Stamford Bridge after a loan spell with Southampton in the 2024/25 season.
Lesley Ugochukwu and his struggles at Chelsea
Lesley Ugochukwu has struggled for stability since joining Chelsea from Stade Rennais in August 2023. The 21-year-old barely featured for the West London club in his debut season and spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Southampton. However, the youngster was in and out of the starting lineup throughout last term.
The French midfield prospect has managed only 567 minutes of game time across 15 outings thus far for Chelsea, and he might have played his final match for the West London club. The Blues are ready to part ways with him for a fee of around £20 million. Meanwhile, the youngster is a target for several well-known clubs, including Valencia.
La Liga adventure beckons?
Valencia’s interest in Lesley Ugochukwu is understandable. Carlos Corberan has a shallow midfield unit, with very few players capable of playing in the middle of the park. In addition, recent reports have linked Javi Guerra with a possible summer departure, with Manchester United vying for his signature.
So, Valencia can do with a new midfielder this summer, with Ugochukwu emerging as a viable target. However, the struggling La Liga giants face stiff competition from Hamburger SV for the 21-year-old Frenchman’s signature. In addition, Los Che would prefer a loan move to sign the youngster from Chelsea.
With Chelsea eager to recoup £20 million from the French midfielder’s sale, the two clubs have a significant gap to bridge. So, it will be interesting to see how the talks between Chelsea and Valencia progress in the coming weeks.