Chelsea now ‘discussing terms’ of deal for £52m star at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea are ‘discussing the terms of the deal’ for Sporting CP’s Manuel Ugarte as we speak, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.

The Blues were reportedly monitoring the midfielder’s situation even before their official appointment of Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea transfer news – Manuel Ugarte

90min revealed that Chelsea have opened talks with Portuguese club Sporting CP over the signing of the young prodigy.

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However, the report suggests that Paris Saint-Germain join the west Londoners in the race for the 22-year-old midfielder, yet Chelsea’s pursuit is slightly more advanced, according to Record.

Also ramping up their interest in the South American phenom is European-securing Aston Villa, who have sent scouts to witness their target in action against Arsenal.

According to The Daily Express, Ugarte has a £52 million release clause in his current deal, though Chelsea are reportedly willing to trigger this in order to secure his services.

Ugarte has become one of the most sought-after prospects in world football, meaning the race for his services may continue to heat up with many of Europe’s elite clubs scouring the market for additions this summer.

To the Stamford Bridge faithful’s delight, Dean Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT Chelsea are more likely to sign Ugarte than Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong seeing as he is more achievable.

What did Fabrizio Romano say about Chelsea and Manuel Ugarte?

Romano said that, at the time of his exclusive conversation with GIVEMESPORT on Tuesday afternoon, the two clubs involved are holding talks to come to some sort of agreement.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “It’s a negotiation, but it’s a negotiation going on between Chelsea and Sporting. While we are speaking, they are discussing the terms of the deal.”

What would Manuel Ugarte bring to Chelsea?

A new midfield in the mold of Ugarte has long been on Chelsea’s agenda, and the in-demand Ugarte could answer the club’s midfield problems.

The Uruguayan first caught the eye of the world by being his side’s standout performer against English opposition in Europe, notably Arsenal and Tottenham.

Defensively, Ugarte has been a revelation at the Lisbon-based outfit, completing 4.63 tackles, 2.18 interceptions and 1.65 blocks per 90 according to Fbref, meaning he could be utilised as a lone midfielder tasked with screening the back line.

In turn, this would allow the gifted Enzo Fernandez – who has been restricted in an offensive sense since his big-money arrival - license to roam forward.

Ugarte’s passing statistics do not suffer, however, as he ranks in the top 1% for pass completion rate among his positional peers.

With no resolution on the future of N’Golo Kante at the club, Ugarte would be a fine replacement for the Frenchman.