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Burnley have completed the signing of Nigerian-born French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Chelsea for a fee of over £20 million.
Lesley Ugochukwu, 21, has signed a five-year contract at Turf Moor, becoming Burnley’s latest addition ahead of the 2025/2026 season.
Naija News reports that the fee is similar to the £23.2 million Chelsea paid to sign Ugochukwu from Rennes in 2023.
“It’s a great feeling to sign for Burnley,” Ugochukwu said. “As soon as I was made aware of the club’s interest in signing me, I was keen to hear more about the project.
“I spoke to the manager and Maxime [Esteve], they were both so passionate about the club and the direction it’s heading in. It feels like this is the perfect move for me at this stage of my career with the ambition the club is showing.”
Ugochukwu was not part of Chelsea’s long-term plans and was training separately from the main squad under new manager Enzo Maresca. He spent last season on loan at Southampton after making 15 appearances in his first campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Burnley are also in talks to sign Chelsea forward Armando Broja, 23. The proposed deal is reportedly worth up to £20 million, though the final fee has not been confirmed.
In a separate deal, Sunderland have secured the loan signing of Chelsea’s teenage striker Marc Guiu for the 2025/2026 season.
Guiu, 19, joined Chelsea from Barcelona for £5 million in July 2024 and scored six goals in 16 matches last season. He described himself as “a powerful striker” and “a natural goalscorer.”
“This year is a huge opportunity for me to help take this team where it truly deserves to be, and I can’t wait to get started,” Guiu said.
Sunderland, who earned promotion to the Premier League in May by defeating Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, have now made nine signings this summer.
Guiu is a product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy and made headlines in October 2023 when he scored 33 seconds into his debut for the Spanish club in a win over Athletic Bilbao.
He later became Chelsea’s second-youngest player to score a hat-trick, achieving the feat against Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League.
Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman thanked Chelsea for their cooperation, saying: “In a loan acquisition, we not only have to convince the player but also the parent club, and we thank Chelsea for placing their trust in us. Most importantly, Marc wanted to come to Sunderland and be a part of our club.”
The post Burnley Sign Lesley Ugochukwu From Chelsea, Marc Guiu Joins Sunderland appeared first on Naija News.
