'Impressed': Pochettino has changed plans over £23m player, he must like him - journalist
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is impressed with youngster Lesley Ugochukwu after deciding to keep him in his squad.
That is according to Evening Standard journalist Nizaar Kinsella, who claims that the Blues’ original plan was to send Lesley Ugochukwu out on loan following his arrival from Rennes.
Speaking about the 19-year-old on the London Is Blue Podcast, Kinsella said: “I think Pochettino’s impressed with him because the plan was to send him out on loan maybe to a Strasbourg.
“But he’s ended up staying and that’s a credit to him that he’s sort of changed the manager’s thoughts in training, looked good, and kept himself in the frame.”
Chelsea spent big on midfielders during the summer transfer window, bringing in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia from Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton respectively.
It means a loan move for Ugochukwu, who cost his new club around £23m, would have made sense. However, he will now be at Stamford Bridge until at least January.
Lesley Ugochukwu now has a big opportunity at Chelsea
Ugochukwu could be in line to receive more minutes at Chelsea with Romeo Lavia set for a spell on the sidelines.
As per the Daily Mail, the Blues fear that the Belgian could be out for at least six weeks after damaging his ankle in training.
It could provide Ugochukwu with an opportunity, though he still faces tough competition to get into Pochettino’s team.
While Lavia is injured, the Argentine has Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher as his other midfield options. They are all barriers to Ugochukwu, but it appears that he could still have a role in west London this season, otherwise a loan move would have been sanctioned.
If it is a role that the French youngster is not happy with, however, then maybe one will be considered when the transfer window reopens in January.
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