Southampton have completed the signing of midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Chelsea on a season-long loan.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Southampton were in advanced talks to sign Ugochukwu.
The deal does not contain a purchase option, with Chelsea viewing Ugochukwu as part of their long-term plans.
They signed the Frenchman from Rennes for around €27.5million (£23.5m; $30.3m) last summer and he signed a seven-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months.
On joining Southampton, Ugochukwu said: “I feel very happy. Southampton has a great history. A lot of great players came over here and played for Southampton, so I’m very happy to be part of the team now.
“It was a very easy decision. They just came back to Premier League. When I heard Southampton, when I spoke to the gaffer as well, I said, ‘I have to come here.’
“I’m just here to work hard and give everything for the fans and for myself as well.”
Southampton manager Russell Martin added: “Lesley is a brilliant athlete who has all the ingredients to be a really top player in the future, and we want to help him achieve that. He combines his size and power with real composure in possession.
“He’s another young player we’ve brought in who has sampled the Premier League already, which is important, and someone we feel can help us in the midfield area with the physicality that he brings to the game.”
Chelsea fielded multiple permanent offers for Ugochukwu but The Athletic reported last month that their priority was to loan the 20-year-old to a fellow Premier League club.
The west London side rate Southampton and Russell Martin highly and believe the head coach possesses a system and football philosophy well suited to that which they and Enzo Maresca plan to adopt at Stamford Bridge.
Ugochukwu featured only 15 times for Chelsea last season, with a serious hamstring injury sustained in December curtailing a promising first half of the campaign.
He returned as a substitute in their final two matches of the season and was then called up to Thierry Henry’s France Under-23s squad for the Olympic Games in Paris, only for Chelsea to recall him to their first-team squad for pre-season.
Ugochukwu had featured under Maresca during Chelsea’s build-up to the new campaign, scoring in their first game against Wrexham in the United States and again against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Southampton, meanwhile, have already secured the signings of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes, Ben Brereton Diaz, Nathan Wood, Ronnie Edwards, Adam Lallana, Wellington, Charlie Taylor and Yukinari Sugawara.
Chelsea have previously loaned Armando Broja to Southampton, with the Albania international impressing during the 2021-22 season.
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