Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Friendly Games
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Anderlecht consider Ugbo as Lokonga replacement after he joins Arsenal

goal.com, 19 July 2021, 16:25
The forward is finally ready to leave the club that he has been at since he was 10 years old.

Anderlecht are considering Chelsea's Ike Ugbo as a replacement for Albert Lokonga who joined Arsenal on Monday for £18 million ($25m).

Fellow Belgian giants Genk are also said to be the other front-runners for Chelsea's 22-year-old academy produced striker.

Chelsea are now considering raising the price tag beyond the initial £5 million ($6.8m) they previously set due to additional interest being received from clubs like Watford, Fulham, Bologna and Monaco.

Why are so many clubs in for Ugbo?

The striker has attracted interest due to his successful season on loan at Cercle Brugge last season and has just one year left on his Blues contract.

Ugbo's 17 goals in 34 games for the relegation-threatened side alerted scouts from across Europe, who tend to watch Belgian football closely.

It followed on from a season at Dutch side Roda JC where Ugbo was also clinical.

Ugbo's career has been transformed by a decision to play overseas having initially had several underwhelming loan spells in the lower leagues of English football beforehand.

"On my first loan [at Barnsley], I didn't feel I showed the qualities that I really had. I think it was just a different world for me to go out into first-team football and adapt. I don't think that I adapted quickly enough," Ugbo told Goal last season.

Russian side Rostov have already seen a £3m ($4m) bid in January rejected by the west Londoners.

Ugbo is currently training with Thomas Tuchel and played 45 minutes in the recent 6-1 friendly win over Peterborough United.

What else is going on in the academy and loan groups?

Chelsea have sold Marc Guehi for £18 million ($25m) to Crystal Palace after he excelled in an 18-month loan spell at Swansea City.

Tino Livramento, Lewis Bate, Myles Peart-Harris and Dynel Simeu could all also leave the Blues as they face an exodus from their youth groups.

However, Armando Broja has signed a new five-year Chelsea contract and could get a chance in Thomas Tuchel's senior team next season.

Thierno Ballo could move on loan later in the transfer window with Rapid Vienna, Sturm Graz, Mainz and Arminia Bielefeld all interested.

Meanwhile, Wigan are among the clubs interested in taking Henry Lawrence on his first loan move away from the Blues.

Anderlecht and Genk are interested in Ike Ugbo as Chelsea consider raising the asking price with Monaco, Fulham and Watford also in the market for the young striker.

Tiemoue Bakayoko is keen to move to AC Milan, while Trevoh Chalobah is attracting interest from Brentford and across Europe after a successful loan spell at Lorient.

Show more

Top News

27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Championship leaders Leeds United will resume their promotion bid with a home game against Swansea City on Saturday. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Watford will resume their Championship playoff bid when they lock horns with Plymouth Argyle in Saturday's clash at Vicarage Road. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed his starting XI for Thursday's La Liga clash with Osasuna, with a decision on Robert Lewandowski's involvement being made. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic are set to welcome top-six contenders Hearts at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Middlesbrough will resume their Championship playoff bid when they welcome Oxford United to the Riverside Stadium for Saturday's contest. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk This weekend's Major League Soccer schedule kicks off with a clash of the Eastern Conference heavyweights at Chase Stadium, where Inter Miami will play host to Philadelphia Union. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Jamie Carragher's reaction to Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool exit didn't sit well with talkSPORT's Darren Bent. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will reportedly face competition from Liverpool to sign in-demand Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso during the summer transfer window. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to snap a six-match winless sequence in the Eredivisie, PEC Zwolle host second-bottom RKC Waalwijk in Saturday's gameweek 27 contest at MAC³PARK Stadion. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly moved closer to reaching a major contract breakthrough in conversations with star forward Mohamed Salah. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh off the back of suffering their first defeat of the 2025 MLS campaign, DC United will be looking to bounce back when they play host to Columbus Crew at Audi Field on Saturday. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Antony has dropped a major hint regarding his future at Manchester United, with the attacker suggesting that he will not be returning to the 20-time English champions at the end of the campaign. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Europe-chasing NEC aim for back-to-back Eredivisie wins for the first time since January when they host Champions League hopefuls AZ Alkmaar in Saturday's gameweek 27 fixture at Goffertstadion. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are confident of reaching an agreement to extend Mohamed Salah's stay at the club, talkSPORT understands. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are among four Blancos players at the heart of a UEFA investigation ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Udinese defender Oumar Solet during this summer's transfer window. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Facing a make-or-break situation in their faltering bid for the playoffs, Norwich City will host top-six occupants West Bromwich Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon in a Championship match. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking to pick up a fourth win on the spin in the MLS for the first time since September 2022, Nashville SC go head to head with FC Cincinnati at Geodis Park on Sunday morning. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Saturday afternoon in the Eredivisie brings us a crucial match in the relegation scrap, with Willem II playing host to Almere City at Koning Willem II Stadion. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has opened up on transfer interest from fellow Premier League clubs Fulham and Everton. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Plymouth Argyle CEO Andrew Parkinson insists Wayne Rooney's doomed appointment was not 'for profile reasons'. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is back training on the grass at London Colney as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a hamstring injury. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to extend their unbeaten run to a sensational 26 matches in the second tier, Burnley will welcome playoff-chasing Bristol City to Turf Moor in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United and Aston Villa are reportedly among a number of clubs keeping tabs on the situation of Noni Madueke at Chelsea. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Premier League rivals Brighton and Nottingham Forest will meet in the FA Cup for the first time ever in their quarter-final clash this weekend. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool fans may have to see Trent Alexander-Arnold in Real Madrid colours even sooner than they think. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly laid out their transfer demands for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo ahead of his possible exit from Old Trafford this summer. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fallen giants Juventus start the post-Thiago Motta era on Saturday evening, when they welcome Genoa to Turin. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sunderland continue their push for promotion to the Premier League this weekend, as they host Millwall in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking to boost their hopes of qualifying for Europe, Wolfsburg welcome relegation-threatened Heidenheim to Volkswagen Arena for a Bundesliga clash on Saturday afternoon.