Sources: Chelsea well placed to sign Manuel Ugarte as £53m news emerges
Chelsea are in a good position to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Miguel Ugarte this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
The Blues have sent scouts to watch Ugarte this season as they up a move at the end of the season.
The 22-year-old is being tracked by Liverpool and Newcastle United and the latter have already sent scouts to watch the midfielder in action.
Ugarte is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League this summer even though his deal at Sporting runs until 2026.
On Wednesday (4 May), Football Insider revealed that Ugarte has a £53million release clause at his current club.
Sporting are only entitled to 70 per cent of the sum with former club Famalicao entitled to the remaining 30 per cent of the cash.
As a result, the Portuguese club are holding firm on the price being met by any interested clubs this summer.
Ugarte is also an international teammate of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and both went to the Qatar World Cup with Uruguay in the winter.
The Reds attacker featured in all three of Uruguay’s group games before they were eliminated whereas Ugarte was an unused substitute.
This season, Ugarte has made 44 appearances for Sporting across all competitions this season and has been in the starting XI for 39 of those matches.
Talks have been ongoing for the last two months as the Blues try to convince Lavia to join alongside incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino.
In other news, Chelsea takeover plot revealed as Boehly eyes summer deal.