Chelsea ready to match PSG’s £52m bid for Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte has attracted strong interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (Getty) Chelsea are ready to match Paris Saint-Germain’s €60 million (£52.2m) bid to sign Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte, according to reports in Portugal. The French champions are looking to strengthen their midfield options this summer, while Marco Verratti has been linked with a move away from the club. According to Maisfutebol, PSG‘s €60m (£52.2m) offer was submitted to Sporting via Jorge Mendes last week but while the bid matches Ugarte’s release clause, the Portuguese club can still decline as the French side want to pay in instalments. The report claims that Chelsea are also interested in signing Ugarte this summer and are prepared to offer the same instalment deal as PSG. It’s also understood that Chelsea’s co-owner, Behdad Eghbali, has personally watched Ugarte play for Sporting. Manuel Ugarte has a €60 million (£52.2m) release clause in his contract with Sporting (Getty) Meanwhile, Liverpool have also been heavily linked with the Uruguay international, with reports claiming this month that the club are due to hold talks over a potential move to Anfield this summer. Speaking earlier this month, Ugarte’s agent made it clear that the midfielder is very likely to leave Sporting at the end of the season. ‘It’s almost certain that he won’t stay, it’s sure he’ll leave,’ Jorge Chijane told O Jogo. More: Trending Graham Potter closing in on first job since Chelsea sacking Arsenal have £14m bid rejected for Sacha Boey as Galatasaray reveal asking price Paul Scholes names Man Utd star who can replace injured Antony in FA Cup final team ‘I believe that in 15 days the situation will be resolved.’ When asked about Liverpool’s interst, Chijane said: ‘There is a lot of talk, but they are not the only club, there are others ‘There is a lot of talk, but I am still not sure about the club. There are many possibilities on the table.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/25/chelsea-match-psgs-52m-offer-to-sign-manuel-ugarte-from-sporting-18846720/