Chelle eyes Chelsea’s Ugochukwu, Chukwuemeka, and Freiburg’s Atubolu for Nigeria

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria coach Eric Chelle has expressed his interest in recruiting several top players eligible to represent the West African nation, including Chelsea’s Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu.

Chelle praised the abilities of Ugochukwu and Chukwuemeka, both of whom are currently on loan from Chelsea.

“They are both good players, even though the one at Dortmund has often had to battle injuries,” Chelle remarked, referring to Chukwuemeka’s challenges with fitness.

The coach also highlighted the impressive form of 22-year-old goalkeeper Atubolu, who has made history in the Bundesliga by going 577 minutes without conceding a goal.

Although Atubolu has represented Germany at various youth levels, Chelle is hopeful of convincing him to switch allegiances to Nigeria.

However, Chelle confirmed that he has not yet made contact with the players but is waiting for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take the lead in reaching out to them.