Liverpool may have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte after being admitted by club manager Ruben Amorim.
The Reds are said to be interested in the Uruguayan midfielder, with Portuguese newspaper Record (via Paisley Gates) claiming Liverpool are preparing a bid for the player earlier this month.
However, Sky Sports reported on Monday that Chelsea are preparing an offer for the 22-year-old following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as manager, which was confirmed earlier today.
The Blues are said to have held talks with Sporting about the Uruguayan midfielder, although it is unclear whether an official offer has been made at this stage. PSG also holds shares of Ugarte. Advertisement
But while the presence of two other European powerhouses could affect Liverpool's chances of signing the midfielder, they have also taken a heavy blow thanks to Amorim.
Amorim sends a message to Ugarte
Sporting failed to qualify for next season's Champions League through Portuguese La Liga, ranking fourth behind Benfica, Porto and Braga.
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Therefore, they will only have the opportunity to play in the Europa League, repeating their feat last season.
Sporting advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022/23 tournament, beating Arsenal on penalties in the round of 16.
However, Amorim admits playing in the Europa League may not be enough to convince Ugarte to stay. He told Portuguese outlet O Jogo:
"I cannot comment on this question [Ugarte's future], because it is beyond my ability. Now we know that it is very difficult to keep players like Ugarte.
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"Not one club is interested, but several. Our goal is to sell, knowing we missed the Champions League and that makes things more difficult. I know what I want for it. team and I communicated that to the Board of Directors."
These comments could be a blow to Liverpool, who will also not be in the Champions League next season. Jurgen Klopp's men will play in the Europa League after a disappointing 5th place in the Premier League standings.
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