Chelsea are ready to match Paris Saint-Germain’s €60 million (£52.2m) bid to sign Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte, according to reports in Portugal.
The French champions are looking to strengthen their midfield options this summer, while Marco Verratti has been linked with a move away from the club.
According to Maisfutebol, PSG‘s €60m (£52.2m) offer was submitted to Sporting via Jorge Mendes last week but while the bid matches Ugarte’s release clause, the Portuguese club can still decline as the French side want to pay in instalments.
The report claims that Chelsea are also interested in signing Ugarte this summer and are prepared to offer the same instalment deal as PSG.
It’s also understood that Chelsea’s co-owner, Behdad Eghbali, has personally watched Ugarte play for Sporting.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have also been heavily linked with the Uruguay international, with reports claiming this month that the club are due to hold talks over a potential move to Anfield this summer.
Speaking earlier this month, Ugarte’s agent made it clear that the midfielder is very likely to leave Sporting at the end of the season.
Jorge Chijane told O Jogo as cited by Sports Central: ‘It’s almost certain that he won’t stay, it’s sure he’ll leave. ‘I believe that in 15 days the situation will be resolved.’
When asked about Liverpool’s interst, Chijane said: ‘There is a lot of talk, but they are not the only club, there are others ‘There is a lot of talk, but I am still not sure about the club. There are many possibilities on the table.’
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