- Southampton are in talks over renting Chelsea star this summer
- Chelsea have spent almost £200million on 12 players so far this transfer window
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Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is in talks to join Southampton on loan.
The 20-year-old Frenchman joined the club from Rennes last summer for £23million on a seven-year deal with an option for a further 12 months.
He played regularly for former manager Mauricio Pochettino’s teams in the first half of the season until a hamstring injury kept him out from December to May.
Ugochukwu is highly rated at Stamford Bridge but given the large squad, first-team opportunities are expected to be limited this season.
A move to Southampton could give him the chance to play regularly in the first team, which would help his development, while also giving the Blues the opportunity to trim their squad for next season.
Lesley Ugochukwu (right) is currently in talks with Southampton over a potential loan move
Chelsea signed Ugochukwu from Rennes for £23million and he played 15 games last season
Chelsea are looking to trim their squad after signing 12 players so far during the transfer window
Mail Sport previously reported that Chelsea are looking to raise more than £200m through player sales as they enter the final stages of another extraordinary transfer window that has left rivals wondering how the team can continue to spend so lavishly without facing retaliation.
The £54million transfer of Pedro Neto from Wolves this weekend was their twelfth of the summer, but it certainly won’t be their last.
Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion was due to be next through the Stamford Bridge revolving door, but negotiations broke down on Sunday night.
Attention is now focused on Joao Felix, who previously spent a year on loan at Chelsea, and the club are also keen on a striker, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen frequently linked.
Possible players set to leave include Romelu Lukaku, who wants to join Napoli, Trevoh Chalobah, an option for Crystal Palace, and Armando Broja, who is on Stuttgart’s wish list and is admired by Wolves.
Pedro Neto became the latest signing when he joined from Wolves in a £54million deal
Conor Gallagher looked set to join Atletico Madrid for £35million, but that deal has been shelved after Omorodion’s move in the opposite direction fell through.
Southampton must complete the signing of Ugochukwu before midday on Friday to include him in the matchday squad for their Premier League opener against Newcastle on Saturday.