Ike Ugbo was allegedly a man in demand this summer – but he has made a surprise move.
The Chelsea hitman impressed on loan at Roda JC last season, smashing 13 goals and three assists in 28 league games.
After that record in the Dutch second tier, Ugbo was attracting interest both in the Premier League and the Championship.
TEAMtalk reported in June that that West Ham United wanted Ugbo, whilst Derby County, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Watford were also keen.
Chelsea were seemingly willing to loan Ugbo out to an English side, but he has instead moved on to Belgium.
The Blues have confirmed that Ugbo has joined Cercle Brugge for the 2020-21 season, whilst also signing a new deal with Chelsea until 2022.
The 21-year-old may need to leave Chelsea permanently soon if they won’t give him a first-team chance, and maybe West Ham will continue to keep tabs on him – but he won’t be playing in claret and blue this coming season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
