Lesley Chimuanya 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.[3]
 Ugochukwu warming up for Chelsea in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lesley Chimuanya Ugochukwu[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 March 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Rennes, France[1] | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Southampton (on loan from Chelsea) | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2011 | ASPTT Rennes | ||
| 2011–2012 | Cercle Paul Bert | ||
| 2012–2021 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | Rennes II | 5 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Rennes | 47 | (1) |
| 2023– | Chelsea | 12 | (0) |
| 2024– | → Southampton (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | France U18 | 9 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | France U19 | 9 | (2) |
| 2024 | France U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | France U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2024 | France Olympic | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:23, 9 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:28, 11 July 2024 (UTC) | |||
Career
editRennes
editUgochukwu made his professional debut for Rennes on 25 April 2021, replacing Steven Nzonzi in a 5–1 Ligue 1 win against Dijon.[4]
Chelsea
editOn 1 August 2023, Ugochukwu signed for Chelsea on a seven-year contract, with a club option for an additional year.[5] The transfer fee paid to Rennes was reported as up to £23.1 million.[6] 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.[7]
Southampton (loan)
editOn 16 August 2024, Ugochukwu joined English side Southampton on a season-long loan.[8] He made his debut for the club on 28 August 2024 in a 3–5 away victory against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup.[9]
Personal life
editBorn in France, Ugochukwu is of Igbo Nigerian descent and holds dual nationality.[10][11] Ugochukwu is the nephew of former Rennes and Nigeria centre-back Onyekachi Apam.[12]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 9 November 2024
| 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[13] | 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[14] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Career total | 69 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 88 | 1 | ||
- ^ Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup
- ^ Includes EFL Cup
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
References
edit- ^ a b "Lesley Ugochukwu". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Lesley Ugochukwu". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ Lesley Ugochukwu at Soccerway. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Ugochukwu becomes a Blue". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Chelsea transfer news: Blues agree £23.1m deal to sign Lesley Ugochukwu from Rennes". Sky Sports. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Lesley Ugochukwu completes loan move to Saints". Southampton FC. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Mitchelmore, Ian (28 August 2024). "Cardiff City 3–5 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Rohr Identifies 16 Year Old Rennes Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu As Alternative To Ndidi". 8 September 2020.
- ^ "Lesley UGOCHUKWU". unfp.org. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Games played by Lesley Ugochukwu in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Games played by Lesley Ugochukwu in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
External links
edit
- Profile at the Chelsea F.C. website
- Lesley Ugochukwu at the French Football Federation (in French)
- Lesley Ugochukwu – UEFA competition record (archive)
