Chelsea are 'in the race' to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte as Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster his midfield ranks, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest transfer news involving Manuel Ugarte?
According to Football Insider, Chelsea manager Pochettino is said to have had a phone conversation with Ugarte in a bid to try and convince the midfielder to pitch up at Stamford Bridge this summer.
The Blues are trying to construct a structured deal that will match his release clause of £52 million and the 22-year-old is reportedly keen to test himself in the Premier League.
As per Record via The Daily Mail, Paris Saint-Germain also want to sign Ugarte and have offered a significantly larger financial package to the Uruguay international as they endeavour to entice the midfielder to Le Parc des Princes.
PSG are believed to be offering Ugarte £2.5 million (€3 million) to join the Ligue 1 giants. The outlet also claims that in Chelsea's bid, youngster David Datro Fofana moving to Sporting Lisbon on loan has also been floated by Blues' chiefs.
It has now been claimed that Chelsea are closing in on signing him, but it remains to be seen as to whether this is correct.
Chelsea are set for something of a midfield revamp in the off-season and Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic all look to be in negotiations regarding potential moves away from SW6.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that it will be left up to Ugarte over whether he wants to join Chelsea or PSG in the summer.
Jacobs told FFC: "It's quite a fluid situation because it just depends on what the player ultimately wants, assuming both clubs are able to agree a package and a structure with Sporting. There are still some legs on this story, but it is fair to say that both PSG and Chelsea at the time of recording are in the race for Ugarte."
Would Manuel Ugarte be a good addition to Chelsea's midfield?
Ugarte would add some youthful energy and bite to Chelsea's engine room and would be a major asset under Pochettino if the Argentinian is able to convince him to join the Blues.
Across 2022/23, Ugarte has made 47 appearances in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon, registering one assist, as per Transfermarkt.
The 22-year-old is also extremely reliable in possession and has managed to record a pass success rate of 91.8% in the Primeira Liga this season, according to WhoScored.
FBRef also detail that Ugarte ranks well in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of tackling, managing to make an average of 4.63 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.
Chelsea are undergoing something of a transition period at Stamford Bridge and Ugarte may be the ideal candidate to add some stability in midfield as Pochettino looks to build ahead for 2023/24.
