Brazil

PSG to outmuscle Chelsea to another South American talent

After acquiring Manuel Ugarte, Paris Saint-Germain are expected to recruit another South American sensation this summer, beating Chelsea to the punch once again.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues and the 22-year-old Uruguayan midfielder were allegedly on the verge of completing an agreement. Nonetheless, he changed his mind and made his way to the Parc des Princes.

According to The Athletic, the Stamford Bridge club reportedly ruled themselves out of a deal when the French club triggered his $65 million release clause.

In reaction to rumors that they were planning to purchase a minority interest in Sporting in order to sweeten the transaction, PSG drafted a formal letter of objection.

The story initially surfaced in the French publication L’Equipe, which said that Chelsea’s ownership had considered signing Ugarte and possibly purchasing a small part in Sporting.

The Portuguese officials allegedly informed PSG, who were then worried, that Ugarte was being encouraged to join Chelsea due to the financial deal.

After realizing they would lose out on the player’s services, the reigning Ligue 1 champions sent a letter casting doubt on the ‘integrity’ of Chelsea’s planned deal.

On the other hand, the Stamford Bridge outfit’s argument was straightforward: PSG gave the player a superior financial deal, particularly in terms of salary.

Chelsea to miss out on one more rising star

Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are embroiled in yet another player war after expressing interest in the same 18-year-old Brazilian sensation. Gabriel Moscardo is a prodigy for Corinthians, but according to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Parisians have jumped Chelsea in the chase for him.

Only last month did the Parisians enter the bidding for the services of the teenage star. Furthermore, they have made quick work of catching up to their rivals in the transfer war.

Thus, Luis Campos, director of PSG, is expected to go to Brazil to finalize the purchase, which may fetch a staggering $27 million, Fabrizio Romano confirmed. Corinthians are prepared to sell their greatest asset to whoever pays the most, and Chelsea’s previous $22 million bid was turned down.

It has been claimed that Moscardo is determined to join PSG in January, and both teams are eager to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. The midfielder is concerned that he may not get many minutes with the London side due to the abundance of midfield alternatives available to the Blues.

Their squad depth consists of midfielders including Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Andrey Santos.

Strong interest from European clubs for Gabriel Moscardo

Who is Gabriel Moscardo?

With every game that Gabriel Moscardo plays for Corinthians, his fan base grows. The Brazilian sensation is only a teenager, but he has already shown himself worthy of a spot on the club’s first team.

The youthful player broke into the first squad earlier this year as a second-half substitute during the Copa Libertadores; he had previously trained with the Timao. He debuted for Brazil‘s under-23 squad in September, while simultaneously breaking into the squad.

In addition to keeping a possible 10 percent sell-on fee, Corinthians would make their largest transfer ever. It might become the most-costly trade in Brazil for a first team midfielder, surpassing the sums paid for Danilo, who went from Palmeiras to Nottingham Forest and Santos.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Fotoarena

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