Southampton have signed midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on a season-long loan from Chelsea, with the Frenchman becoming Russell Martin's 10th new addition.
The deal does not include an option to buy for the Saints, despite many enquiries, with the west London club insisting that he is an important player for the future.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea see Southampton as a good destination for the midfielder due to Martin's style of football, believing that it is similar to what Enzo Maresca is implementing at the Blues and that it will significantly benefit Ugochukwu’s development.
The 20-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Rennes just 12 months ago, is seen as a major component of Maresca's long term plan and they believe he has similar traits to Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni - suggesting Southampton have a player on their hands!
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His career so far...
In terms of his career so far, Ugochukwu is only at the start of his, with the midfielder only making his professional debut for Rennes in 2021.
Aged 17, the Frenchman came on to replace the experienced Steven N'zonzi during a 5-1 win over Dijon in Ligue 1, becoming the club's fourth-youngest debutant at the time.
After making 60 appearances for the first team, Ugochukwu joined Chelsea for around £23.5m last summer and signed a seven-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
He had featured regularly in Mauricio Pochettino’s squads during the first half of the season and made 13 appearances, seven of which were off the bench.
However, a hamstring injury sustained in December ruled him out until May, with the Frenchman managing less than 30 minutes across the final two games.
In pre-season, Chelsea recalled him from his duties with the France Under-23s at the Olympic Games as they prioritised a loan move away for the player, with the midfielder featuring regularly during their games - even scoring against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
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What to expect from Ugochukwu
Although by definition he is a holding midfielder, Ugochukwu is capable of adopting many different roles and has also played in a box-to-box role.
Standing at 6'3, he is a player that likes to impose himself and feels comfortable in contact situations, with opponents finding it very tricky to dispossess him.
Ugochukwu works like an engine in the centre of the park but also has the technical ability to compete with the best, with the 20-year-old capable of reading the game, winning the ball back, and then picking a pass between the lines to get his team up the pitch - doing so whilst embracing the pressure put upon him by the opposition.
However, Ligue 1 is a whole different game to the Premier League and, although he showed flashes during his small amount of game time at Chelsea, he is largely untested against the majority of the division.
At 20, there is certainly room for improvement, particularly aerially as this is one of his weaker attributes despite his height. Overall, he does appear to be a shrewd signing for Martin's men.
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What is next for Southampton?
Due to profit and sustainability rules (PSR), Southampton do need to sell players if they are to recruit more.
Armel Bella-Kotchap appears to be on his way to Hoffenheim for £12.8m, despite the move being put into jeopardy due to a potential heart problem found during his medical.
Sekou Mara is in talks with a move back to France with Strasbourg for around £10m, while Charly Alcaraz could be returning to Brazil as Southampton hold discussions with Flamengo - reported fee around £21.4m.
