Chelsea convinced ‘well-liked’ forgotten man will still attract plenty of interest this summer

Chelsea’s sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are in for a very busy summer.

There has been a lot of talk about arrivals lately, but departures are also expected at Stamford Bridge.

Christopher Nkunku is one player who is likely to leave Chelsea in the transfer window. Bayern Munich are still interested in Nkunku after targeting him in January, while the forward has also been linked to Juventus.

One of his compatriots at Chelsea could be heading for the exit door as well, with there unlikely to be a place for him in Enzo Maresca‘s squad next season.

Chelsea adamant Lesley Ugochukwu will have suitors

There was no room for Lesley Ugochukwu at Chelsea last summer after pre-season and that is not about to change.

The Blues already have Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Andrey Santos and have just confirmed the signing of Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon.

It means another departure could be possible, with The Athletic claiming that Chelsea believe the midfielder will generate a lot of interest.

The same outlet claims that Ugochukwu is “well-liked” and his loan at Southampton is being viewed as a “positive” one. But that may not be enough to keep him at Chelsea.

Chelsea see similarities between Ugochukwu and Aurelien Tchouameni, so he is clearly someone who has a lot of potential in their eyes. But the club are absolutely stacked in midfield at the moment.

How Lesley Ugochukwu fared while on loan at Southampton

Southampton had a disastrous season, finishing bottom of the Premier League table with just 12 points. They deserved their relegation.

On an individual level, though, Ugochukwu can be satisfied with how the campaign went. The Frenchman made 26 appearances in the top flight, including 18 starts. Across all competitions, he played 31 games for the Saints.

As a 21-year-old, you need game time to develop, and Ugochukwu was able to get that at St Mary’s. He even managed to score a goal, netting in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United.