Lesley Ugochukwu confident that he can work his way into the Chelsea starting line-up

FRANCO-Nigerian teenage midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is confident of making the grade at English Premier League giants Chelsea despite having a tough fight on his hands to grab a shirt given the quality of opposition he is up against.

Ugochukwu,19,  joined the Blues during the summer transfer window from French Ligue One club Rennes for a fee suggested to be €27m and signed a seven-year deal with the west London side. However, to get a stating place in the side will be an uphill task as Ugochukwu has the likes of Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo and  Roméo Lavia to contend with, who are all more experienced than him.

On the opening day of the Premier League, Ugochukwu made his debut for Chelsea side in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool. His only start for Chelsea came in their 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup which shows his struggles to get game time so far but the teenager is confident he can make the grade at Stamford Bridge despite the stern competition he faces.

Ugochukwu said: "It's the same everywhere, in any team, you are not sure to play. When I arrived at Chelsea, I knew where I was going. It's up to you to prove yourself, to show that you deserve your place. Personally, I have never been afraid of competition.

"I will learn from very good players like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia, who is the same age as me. It's up to me to go and get the most minutes. The learning that I have at Chelsea, daily and at weekends, will allow me to strengthen myself and mature in my game. When you are young, you have to play of course but there are trains that don't pass twice."

So far , Ugochukwu has made three appearances for the 2021 Uefa Champions League champions, two in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup. He could get the chance to get more games with the injury to Lavia who is set to be out for six weeks.

Born in France, Ugochukwu is of Nigerian descent and holds dual nationality. Having already played for the French U18, U19 and U21 sides, however, if he opts to play for Nigeria at senior level, he will have to go through a switch with Fifa.