Burnley are on the verge of signing Chelsea duo Lesley Ugochukwu and Armando Broja for around £20 million each. The pair are due to sign five-year-deals with Scott Parker's side. Both deals are expected to be finalised this week.
Broja, 21 and Ugochukwu, 23 have both been considered to be surplus to requirements this summer as Chelsea are eager to offload a number of players. It would be Burnley's third signing from Chelsea this summer, following defender Bashir Humphreys also moving on a permanent deal for £14 million.
🚨🟣 Lesley Ugochukwu, authorized for medical at Burnley after permanent deal agreed with Chelsea.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2025
Both Armando Broja and Ugochuwku sign on permanent deal, contracts to be signed and sealed this week.
Here we go. ✅ pic.twitter.com/DIa8wnQf20
After securing promotion back to the Premier League, the Clarets have been highly active in the transfer window this summer. Broja and Ugochukwu would take their spending tally to over £90 million on twelve players. They have brought in some exciting young talents such as goalkeeper Max Weiss and winger Marcus Edwards, as well as some experience with Kyle Walker. Spending large amounts is a risky strategy, however, with the gap in quality between the Championship and the Premier League constantly increasing, it may be what is needed to ensure survival.
Lesley Ugochukwu's Failed Chelsea Move
Ugochukwu joined Chelsea for £23 million from Stade Rennais in the 2023 summer transfer window. The central-midfielder failed to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, appearing only 15 times in all competitions, largely due to a hamstring injury ruling him out for the second half of his first season. Last year he moved to Southampton on a season-long loan, but was unable to become a mainstay in their XI, with only 18 starts in 26 appearances in the league.
Moving to Burnley, Ugochukwu will be hoping he can string together some consistent performances under Scott Parker. The Frenchman still has a lot of potential and with Burnley trying to build a competitive squad, he has the chance to establish himself as a Premier League level player.
Armando Broja's Struggles
Coming through Chelsea's academy, Broja has yet to reach the potential he was once touted with. Expecting to become part of the Chelsea first-team, the last couple of seasons have been filled with injuries, halting his progress as a talented striker. Broja's first two loan spells in his career at Vitesse and Southampton were impactful, scoring 10 in the Eredivisie and 6 in the Premier League. He then returned to the Blues for the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons, but struggled for regular game time. The 23-year-old only made 25 appearances in the league across the two seasons, managing to only score 2 goals.
Broja's poor performances continued with a loan spell at Fulham in January 2024, where he only made 8 appearances. This was followed by a season-long loan at Everton which included an ankle injury keeping him out for nearly two months, causing him to only make 11 appearances. The Albanian international failed to score for either club.
A permanent move to Burnley may enable Broja to revitalise his career with the hopes of regular starts. If he can stay fit and develop under Scott Parker, then there is no reason why he can't reach the potential he was once deemed to have.
