Chelsea hold talks over Manuel Ugarte transfer?

Chelsea have reportedly held talks with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The Blues rounded off a disappointing 2022-23 season with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United on Sunday, ensuring that they finished the campaign in 12th position.

Chelsea have quickly turned their attention to the 2023-24 campaign after they confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach on Monday afternoon.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss, who will start officially on July 1, will have significant input into a busy summer transfer window.

Due to Financial Fair Play rules and squad size, Chelsea will attempt to offload a number of players this summer, but they are also expected to make additions of their own.

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Chelsea are expected to strengthen in a number of areas, including in the middle of the park where there could be several departures.

Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all been linked with exits, while N'Golo Kante is still yet to sign a contract extension.

Chelsea have seemingly identified Manuel Ugarte as a midfield potential target, and a recent report indicated that they are ready to match Paris Germain's offer for the Uruguay international.

According to Sky Sports News, the West London club have opened talks over a deal to sign Ugarte during the summer transfer window.

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Ugarte still has three years left to run on his Sporting contract, but he is understood to have a €60m (£52m) release clause.

Sporting finished in fourth position in the Primeira Liga, and their head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted that it will be "difficult to keep players like Ugarte" after missing out on Champions League qualification.

Ugarte, who has eight caps for Uruguay, made 47 appearances for the Portuguese giants during the 2022-23 campaign.

In total, the 22-year-old has featured in 85 games for Sporting since joining the club from Famalicao in the summer of 2021.