“It’s difficult to reject a club like Chelsea” – Lesley Ugochukwu on joining Premier League side

France youngster, Lesley Ugochukwu, says it was difficult to turn down an offer from a club as big as Chelsea when they come calling.

Chelsea paid €27 million to sign the France youth international from Rennes during the summer. It was believed that he would return to Ligue 1, with a loan to partner club RC Strasbourg being mentioned in the media, but Ugochukwu will stay with the Blues.

Since joining Chelsea, the former Rennes midfielder has appeared three times, including two Premier League games.

The 19-year-old spoke to Le Parisien on his move from Rennes to the Premier League side.

Ugochukwu told Le Parisien that he did not expect to leave Rennes this summer, but he did disclose that Chelsea had a long-standing interest in him.

“Chelsea had been following me for a while. There were phone calls between the club and me this summer. Those calls went well and we decided to move forward,” he said.

He also revealed the rationale behind his decision to join Mauricio Pocchettino’s side. “It’s the start of a new cycle, with new players and new ambitions. I was attracted by what they want to do and by what they see in me. Regarding my ambitions, I think it was perfect to leave at that time. They say that I can become a great midfielder if I work hard and everything goes well. It’s up to me to prove that I can have a place in the long term. I wanted to progress,” said Ugochukwu.

He added, “It’s Chelsea! You just need to look at all the trophies that they’ve won and the legends that have played there. When a club of that stature comes in for you, it is very difficult to refuse.”

The player is expected to be heavily involved at some point in the season as he has already seen minutes in three games so far.