Chelsea looks certain to continue its spending spree again this summer. After posting a net spend of nearly $600 million during the 2022/23 season, the Blues are ready to splash the cash yet again. A top prospect from Sporting Lisbon is the Premier League club’s latest target.
Football Insider is claiming that Chelsea has offered Manuel Ugarte a five-year contract to join the club. The news source did not reveal the exact figures of the deal, but it is thought to be enticing to the defensive midfielder.
Chelsea to face competition for Manuel Ugarte signature
While the Blues have reportedly approached the midfielder, they will certainly not be the only team interested in Ugarte. Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the Uruguay international. In fact, PSG has supposedly already informed Sporting that they would trigger the player’s $64 million release clause. Nevertheless, Chelsea is also set to meet the Portuguese team’s demands.
Ugarte has quickly become a key figure for Sporting since his arrival from Famalicão. The Portuguese giants paid around $10 million for the midfielder in 2021. In fact, the mainstay has played 47 total matches for the club during the current campaign. Only a handful of these appearances came from the bench. Ugarte has eight caps for the Uruguay senior national team as well.
New round of talks expected next week
With Chelsea entering the race for his signature, Ugarte must now make a final decision on which team to join this summer. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed on Saturday that both the Blues and PSG will continue talks in the coming days. The player has his choice of top teams with big checkbooks.
Mauricio Pochettino has an influence in chasing Ugarte. Yet, the Argentine boss has no official ties to the club as of now. Reports surfaced in mid-May that the Argentine coach agreed to become Chelsea’s next manager. The west London outfit will officially announce Pochettino as soon as the current season ends. Chelsea wraps up its disastrous 2022/23 season at home against Newcastle on Sunday.
PHOTO: IMAGO / AFLOSPORT
