Chelsea: Major internal Ugochukwu verdict emerges after 'miserable' development
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Chelsea have major internal expectations of Lesley Ugochukwu despite his struggles on loan at Southampton, reports The Athletic.
The France U21 midfielder has only started four games in the Premier League during a “miserable” spell with the South Coast side, even as the Saints languish at the bottom of the table, but the Chelsea hierarchy still have high hopes for the development of the talented Frenchman.
Southampton have been terrible following promotion from the Championship last year and their second manager this season, Ivan Juric, is already under pressure from the fans.
Internally at Cobham however, Ugochukwu is viewed as having “Aurelien Tchouameni-level long-term upside,” and his lack of game-time at the Saints could give Chelsea reason to recall him to Stamford Bridge, either to loan him elsewhere, or to get game-time with the Blues.
The former Rennes player is viewed as a potential midfield stand-in for the British-record £115million fee holder, Moises Caicedo. [SkySports]
Moises Caicedo could give Ugochukwu pathway into Chelsea team
Football Insider opinion
It is fair to say that the loan-deal that took Ugochukwu to Southampton has been a dreadful move for all parties involved.
The aim had been for the Frenchman to get regular first-team minutes in the Premier League, whilst playing in a similar role to the one that Caicedo occupies for Chelsea, giving Ugochukwu the chance to audition as an alternative on his Chelsea return next season.
Caicedo has been in unbelievable form this season, however Chelsea realise the importance of resting the Ecuadorian and are hopeful that Ugochukwu can play that role next season.
Instead, Russell Martin, the manager who brought him on loan, has been sacked, Southampton are 20th in the table, and Ugochuckwu has only featured sporadically.
The issue is especially compounded seeing Andrey Santos, a rival for the midfield role Ugochukwu would want to fill on his return to London, performing incredibly for French side Strasbourg.
In other news, Keith Wyness has offered an update on Marc Guehi’s move to Chelsea.
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The post Chelsea: Major internal Ugochukwu verdict emerges after 'miserable' development appeared first on Football Insider.
