Chelsea’s €27m wonderkid backs Pochettino with ‘100%’ comment
Robin Bairner
- 28 Sept 2023 09:19 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has revealed the role that manager Mauricio Pochettino played to make him join the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Ugochukwu moved to Chelsea in the summer from Ligue 1 side Rennes for a fee of €27 million, one of 13 new signings for the Premier League outfit as the Blues splurged more than €450m on new players.
The 19-year-old, who is under contract with Pochettino's men until 2030, has made six appearances for his new club, including a start against Brighton in Wednesday’s 1-0 EFL Cup success over the Seagulls.
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Ugochukwu has revealed his motivation for joining Chelsea in the summer when speaking to TalkSport and has revealed what a role Pochettino, who already finds himself under pressure, had in the process.
“When I heard that Chelsea were interested in me I didn’t ask myself any questions,” he said. “I thought: ‘It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world’ so I had to go there.
“Every player wants to be in the best team with the best coach and Pochettino is part of that.
“In one of my first starts in the French league was against Pochettino at PSG, so when I came to the US tour, he told me that I was one of the guys who made him love the league.”
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Chelsea's Lesley Ugochukwu: "In one of my first starts in Ligue 1 was against Pochettino at PSG... he told me that I was one of the guys who made him love the league." (TalkSport)
The defining moment of that performance? The 17 y/o absolutely bodying Neymar 👇 pic.twitter.com/9W6rPYJJWc— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) September 28, 2023
Ugochukwu says that he is confident Pochettino will enhance his game.
“He’s a man who has a lot of experience with Southampton, Tottenham and PSG so he’s trained big teams and now Chelsea,” he said.
“I’m 100 per cent sure that he’s going to take me to another level, for sure.”
Ugochukwu’s value has doubled at Chelsea
Ugochukwu has seen his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) soar since joining Chelsea in the summer. He was worth around €12m when he arrived at Stamford Bridge but since debuting with his new side that has risen to €22m.
Data analytics experts SciSports rate the teenager as a hot prospect with the Blues presently, but he has the potential to become a key player at his peak.
