Chelsea have been shown why they must beat Paris Saint-Germain to the signing of Manuel Ugarte this summer. The 22-year-old have been heavily linked with an exit from Sporting CP lately – and he appears to be the perfect midfield partner for Enzo Fernandez.
Ugarte, who sees his contract at the Estádio José Alvalade expire in 2026, has featured 47 times for the Portuguese outfit this season, helping Ruben Amorim's side venture into the Europa League quarter-finals. The Uruguay international's impressive performances have reportedly courted the attention of some big clubs around Europe, and he could be available for half of what Declan Rice is valued at.
According to reports in France and Portugal on Thursday, PSG were close to wrapping up a deal for Ugarte with the Uruguayan expected to sign a five-year contract. It's believed that the Parisians informed his agent, Jorge Mendes, they would trigger the £52m clause in Ugarte's contract.
