Chelsea talks now 'expected to escalate' over £52m star at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea remain in the hunt for Manuel Ugarte and talks over a move to Stamford Bridge are expected to 'escalate relatively quickly' with Sporting, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

Having ended their search for a new head coach earlier this week, thanks to appointing Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues can now turn their attentions towards the summer transfer window.

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Chelsea transfer news - Manuel Ugarte

According to Football Insider, Pochettino has attempted to persuade Ugarte to join Chelsea after holding a phone conversation.

The report suggests the Blues are negotiating a structured deal which will meet the £52million release clause written into the Uruguay international's Sporting contract, while personal terms have been verbally agreed.

While that sounds promising for Chelsea, a move to west London is not a foregone conclusion as it has emerged that Paris Saint-Germain have offered Ugarte a more lucrative deal.

Manchester United have also joined the race for the defensive midfielder's signature after Sporting boss Ruben Amorim admitted it will be difficult for the Portuguese giants to hold onto their prised asset after failing to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea and PSG are hopeful of thrashing out a deal for Ugarte.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Ugarte?

Jacobs has tipped Chelsea to up the ante in their pursuit of Ugarte as they attempt to fend off stiff competition from PSG and Manchester United.

The respected journalist understands that the 22-year-old is eager for negotiations to be concluded sooner rather than later.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: "I expect talks to escalate relatively quickly on this one.

"Ugarte wants to resolve his future, so he can go and enjoy some time off and then come back to a new club in the early part of pre-season."

Would Ugarte be an ideal replacement for Kante?

According to FBref, Ugarte averaged more tackles, interceptions and clearances per 90 minutes than Kante during the 2022/23 campaign.

There is ongoing uncertainty over the Chelsea man's future, thanks to his £290,000-per-week contract being due to expire at the end of the month, so Sporting's defensive shield could be the perfect replacement.

WhoScored handed Ugarte an average match rating of 7.11 for his performances in the Portuguese top flight, which was only bettered by two players who appeared for Sporting ahead of the season finishing last week.

The South American will not solve Chelsea's goalscoring issues - he has been shown as many red cards as the amount of goals he has scored during the early stages of his club career - but his aggressive style of play would make Pochettino's side more difficult to break down.