Chelsea star DELETES club from his social media account after failing to get game time on loan at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea loanee Leslie Ugochukwu has removed all mention of Southampton from his Instagram account.

Ugochukwu, 20, joined the Blues in the summer of 2023 from Rennes for a fee rising to £23.1m, with the midfielder a high-profile youth international for France.

He made just 15 appearances in all competitions last season, six of which were starts, and joined the Saints in August in a bid to get more game time.

However, Ugochukwu failed to make an impact, playing just six times in the Premier League for Russell Martin’s side.

The 20-year-old was absent from Southampton’s 1-1 draw with Brighton on Friday night and Martin did not explain why he was not involved.

And now the Chelsea loanee appears to have deleted all mention of the south coast club from his Instagram page, in what some see as a protest against his apparent lack of playing time.

Eagle-eyed Saints fans noted that there was no mention of Southampton on his page.

His bio states Chelsea and all his photos are of him playing for the Blues or France, with some other personal photos included.

Ugochukwu can now look for a new club in January, having made his last league start in September when Martin’s side thrashed Bournemouth rivals 3-1.

On that fateful day, Ugochukwu was tackled at half-time and Martin later allowed his side to play in the first half.

“I’m very hurt from playing in the first half after the first goal,” he fumed. “I didn’t recognize our team.

“Normally I’m proud of them for the courage they show, but there was no aggression, no courage, no intensity in the game. Looking around, I saw self-preservation mode on the field.

“I didn’t recognize the body language. I didn’t like it a bit. They showed a lot of fight and courage in the second half, but it was too late.”

Ugochukwu played just 99 minutes in the next seven league games, although he did start in the Saints Carabao Cup fourth round win over Stoke City on 29 October.

The midfielder’s actions are a far cry from his positive comments when he joined the club in the summer ahead of what he hoped would be a breakthrough campaign.

“Last season I had an injury that kept me off the field,” Ugochukwu explained. This season I wanted to get more experience and play more minutes.

“I said that Southampton is a great opportunity for me to prove myself. I had the opportunity to play in the Champions League with Rennes.

“I had a few games in the Europa League. I have some experience. Even last season, being at such a big club as Chelsea, I felt what the highest level is.

“I know what to do and I think right now I’m here to work really hard and give it my all for the fans and for myself.”

Ugochukwu faces more disappointment next week as the midfielder will miss Southampton’s clash against his parent club Chelsea on Wednesday.