Promising Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo has signed for Barnsley on a year-long loan deal.
The deal for the 18-year-old was confirmed by the Championship side on their official website, as well as via their official Twitter account:
??? | We are delighted to announce that Ike Ugbo has joined the Reds from @ChelseaFC! #COYR pic.twitter.com/rYLGXc6GpN
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) July 17, 2017
The youngster is a graduate of Chelsea’s academy, having broken through the youth ranks and into their under-23 side last summer.
The last campaign saw him flourish at both youth and reserve level, as he hit 23 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions, including 11 strikes as Chelsea finished fifth in the top tier of the Premier League 2, the professional development league.
His fine form saw him called up to the England Under-20 squad for the annual Toulon Tournament, which saw him pick up two caps as the Young Lions picked up their second successive championship, Ugbo scoring once to secure a 1-0 win over Angola.
A pacey centre forward who is confident in the air as well as with the ball at his feet, the youngster is yet to get a taste of first team action for the Blues, with not even a bench appearance to his name.
However he will be expecting to be a key part of the first team at Barnsley, with the club looking to improve on their 14th placed finish last season.
They will be likely be looking for Ugbo to step into the shoes of strikers Sam Winnall, Barnsley’s top scorer who left for Sheffield Wednesday back in January, and Adam Armstrong, with the former loanee having returned back to parent club Newcastle, having hit 17 goals between them.