Paris Saint Germain (PSG) have made a surprise move for the signature of Chelsea target Manuel Ugarte. The midfielder has enjoyed a fantastic season with Sporting Lisbon and gained attraction from European clubs this summer.
According to the reports from Daily Mail, PSG have taken note of Urgarte's fantastic displays in the Portuguese League. The 22-year-old has a £53m buy-out clause in his contract with Sporting. It has also been stated that he has an offer on the table from Aston Villa, who have qualified for Europe under Unai Emery.
PSG could be seeing the departure of Marco Verratti this summer, as his agent has indicated that a return to Serie A is possible. Hence, they would try revamping their midfield options for next season.
On the other hand, Chelsea are also looking at Ugarte as a potential signing for this season. The Blues have announced the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the new manager at the club. However, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has stated that his first priority is to clear the wage bill before signing new players.
Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, and Romelu Lukaku are all linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer. It remains to be seen how Chelsea’s squad shapes up before they make further signings. Chelsea want £75m for Mount this summer as they look to find a partner for Enzo Fernandez in midfield. N’Golo Kante could also be leaving Stamford Bridge after being sidelined by injuries constantly this season. Now, it looks like they have identified Ugarte as the profile to partner with the World Cup winner in the middle of the park.