Chelsea midfielder set to join Premier League club on loan: Fabrizio Romano

Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is reportedly close to moving to Premier League side Southampton on a season-long temporary deal.

Ugochukwu, who scored two goals in five pre-season matches for the Blues, is deemed as a fringe option at the Stamford Bridge outfit now. He has started just six of his 15 total appearances for his current club.

Now, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ugochukwu is set to join Southampton on a loan transfer with no buy option this summer. He is viewed as a potential first-team starter by the west London outfit.

Should the right-footed midfielder join Southampton, he would provide healthy competition to the likes of Flynn Downes and Will Smallbone.

Prior to joining Chelsea for around £23 million last summer, the France U21 international featured in 60 games across competitions for Stade Rennais. He contributed one goal and an assist for his boyhood team.

Paul Merson states Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has big pressure on his shoulders

In his column for Sky Sports, Arsenal great Paul Merson shared his two cents on Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca. The 56-year-old opined:

"Chelsea's opener against Manchester City can go either way. Either it's a good game to start and you can get a result against the champions to kick-start the season. With a win against City, the negativity can turn to positivity very quickly. However, a big defeat to City on the opening day would really see the pressure build quickly."

Claiming that the Italian has to get off to a good start, Merson added:

"Enzo Maresca has got to hit the ground running but I can't see this team being consistent enough. People will point to the fact that they finished strongly in the league, winning their final five matches of the season. But not long before that they were getting beaten 5-0 by Arsenal. That's the benchmark."

Merson, who played for Arsenal between 1985 and 1997, concluded:

"Beating the likes of Brighton [& Hove Albion] and West Ham [United], no disrespect to those sides, isn't Chelsea's benchmark. Their benchmark is Arsenal, Tottenham [Hotspur], Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City. At the moment, I'm seeing [them] as a cup team again. If they can get into the top four this season, I think they'd have had the biggest result ever."

The Blues registered one win in six pre-season matches this summer.

Maresca's outfit will face reigning champions Manchester City in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge this Sunday (August 18).