According to 90min, Chelsea and midfielder Manuel Ugarte of Sporting CP have begun negotiations.
Even before the hiring of new manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose move to Stamford Bridge was ultimately made public on Monday, a new midfielder had been on Chelsea's wish list for this summer.
The 22-year-old Sporting midfielder Ugarte has reportedly been added to Chelsea scouts' long list of potential targets, and the Blues have contacted him to explore a potential transfer.
Additionally interested in Ugarte, Paris Saint-Germain recently reached a personal terms agreement with the Uruguayan international. The French team is attempting to arrange a payment schedule in an effort to avoid paying his €60 million release clause in full.
Ugarte's pursuit by the Parisians is reportedly further along at this point, although Chelsea is still in negotiations for a transaction that, if consummated, would mark the first of the Pochettino era.
Ruben Amorim, the manager of Sporting, recently acknowledged that his team will have to fight hard to hold onto Ugarte now that they have been denied entry into the Champions League for the upcoming season.
Given that our project hasn't been sold and that we missed the Champions League, it's obvious that it's challenging to keep players like him. Several clubs are interested, not just one, Amorim stated. It makes everything more challenging.
The number of players sold this summer will determine Chelsea's intentions for the midfield. N'Golo Kante is now in talks as he weighs his options, and Mateo Kovacic is approaching the end of his contract and may be moved amid interest from several Premier League opponents.
Declan Rice of West Ham United and Moises Caicedo of Brighton are also on Chelsea's radar, along with Ugarte, but with the entire English elite interested in the pricey pair, the Blues are eager to take a closer look at a number of possibilities.
Romeo Lavia of Southampton and Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach are both respected at Stamford Bridge, but a lot will rely on how much room Chelsea can free up through sales.
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