Chelsea throw their name into the hat for the services of 22-year-old South American enforcer

Chelsea have joined Liverpool in the pursuit of Manuel Ugarte

Chelsea have joined Liverpool and Aston Villa in the race to land Manuel Ugarte, a defensive midfielder who is attracting attention with his splendid performances for Sporting CP.

According to the Portuguese newspaper Record via SportWitness (h/t Metro), Chelsea are the new frontrunners to recruit Uruguayan international. Ugarte is having a fantastic season for his Portuguese team, and Liverpool and Aston Villa are both keeping an eye on his progress.

Since joining Sporting, the 22-year-old has established himself as a regular starter, having appeared in 30 Primeira Liga appearances this season. Liverpool appeared to have the edge when it came to his pursuit but now Chelsea can play spoilsport.

It is understood that Ugarte has a £52 million release clause, and with more clubs interested, he might demand huge wages if he joins any of the interested clubs.

His agent has also spoken about a summer departure, claiming that given his growth in European football, Ugarte might leave Sporting and join a prominent European team. Chelsea are coming off a poor campaign but remains among Europe’s top teams.

Chelsea are currently in need of a holding midfielder due to the absence of N’Golo Kante due to injury. As a result, with Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, they may look at transfer options to reinforce the midfield.

Ugarte has grown a lot since last season; he is lightning-fast and boasts ball-winning abilities, as well as unrelenting endurance and stamina, which will fit Pochettino’s playing philosophy. He is also reliable in possession, can dodge pressure, and serves as an extra layer of protection when the team is on full attack.

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He is mature for a 22-year-old, and the Argentine manager can undoubtedly assist him in improving further if we are able to sign him next season. He should also be significantly less expensive than Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, other defensive midfielders we are linked with.