Lesley Ugochukwu: France-Nigeria midfielder joins Galatasaray on loan from Burnley

France-Nigeria defensive midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has joined Galatasaray on loan from Burnley, with the Turkish club paying a loan fee of €3.55m. The 22-year-old has signed on for the 2026-27 season, with his contract in Istanbul running until 30 June 2027.

Ugochukwu moves to the Super Lig after a spell in England with Burnley, who signed him from Chelsea in August 2025 for €28.7m. His switch to Turkey comes after establishing himself in the Premier League, where he has made 73 appearances, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

Standing at 1.90m and preferring to operate as a defensive midfielder, Ugochukwu offers Galatasaray a physically imposing option at the base of their midfield. He has accumulated more than 4,300 minutes in the Premier League and also brings experience from domestic cup competitions and European tournaments.

Born in Rennes, Ugochukwu began his professional career in France with Stade Rennais, progressing from their youth and B teams into Ligue 1, where he featured 47 times. Chelsea secured his services from the French club in 2023 for €27m, before loaning him to Southampton for the 2024-25 campaign and later selling him to Burnley.

Ugochukwu, who is right-footed and holds both French and Nigerian nationality, will now continue his career in Istanbul after Galatasaray finalised the season-long loan from Burnley.