London [UK], July 2 : French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea on Tuesday.
Chelsea released an official statement to announce the signing of the 19-year-old midfielder.
"Chelsea has completed the signing of teenage midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. Welcome to Chelsea, Lesley," read Chelsea's official statement.
The midfielder is joining the Blues on a long-term contract from Ligue 1 side Rennes, with an option to further increase it by one year.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley expressed their happiness over the signing and said, "We’re delighted Lesley is joining Chelsea. He is an impressive young player who has already made his mark in Ligue 1. He has a huge amount of potential and we know he is going to continue to develop and improve. We are pleased that he has joined us in the U.S. and that he will be able to integrate with the squad quickly."
For the past two years, Ugochukwu has been on the rise after making his senior debut with his boyhood club.
His first Ligue 1 start came a fortnight later against the French leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Ugochukwu caught the limelight by keeping Neymar at bay for most of that night.
With each performance, Ugochukwu built a reputation as a ball-winning midfielder and a player who drops in to maintain possession for his team.
Ugochukwu, a France Under-19 international, established himself as a regular face for Rennes over the past two seasons and ended up making a total of 67 appearances.
He played a crucial part in Rennes, Ligue 1 finished in fourth position last season. He also played an important role in their success in UEFA Europa League as they reached the knockout stage last season.
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