Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in making a move for Sporting CP sensation, Manuel Ugarte, albeit with the Lilywhites set to face stern competition for the midfielder's signature.
What's the latest on Ugarte to Tottenham?
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the north London outfit are seemingly set to rival both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the battle for the 22-year-old, with the Uruguayan international believed to have a €60m (£53m) release clause in his existing deal in Lisbon.
Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Manuel #Ugarte update. #Chelsea had the first contacts with #SportingCP and continue to push for him; #PSG – still interested – have to solve the topic of the coach before;
#Tottenham in the race, but – to date – their internal situation is quite complicated."
That 'complicated' situation may well be that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is yet to name a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, despite having sacked the Italian at the end of March.
Who is Manuel Ugarte?
The promising midfielder has been a real standout figure for Ruben Amorim's side in recent times, with the 6-foot ace having been hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig amid his eye-catching form.
Lauded by journalist Raj Chohan as an "in-house" replacement for ex-teammate Joao Palhinha – who starred for Fulham this season after finishing top of the pile for tackles made – the emerging gem is evidently a truly monstrous midfield presence, offering the ability to provide an effective screen in front of the back four.
If Levy was to secure Ugarte's services ahead of next season, the Montevideo native could potentially represent something of an upgrade on current Spurs man, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, due to the younger man's superior ball-winning prowess.
That difference in quality between the pair is showcased by the fact that the Sporting star averaged a mammoth 3.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Primeira Liga in 2022/23, with Hojbjerg, by contrast, only averaging 1.6 and 1.4 for those same two metrics, respectively, in that time.
It was also Ugarte who ranked first in the Champions League for average tackles made per game (4.8), while the former Famalicao ace also appears a more composed presence on the ball as he recorded an average pass accuracy rate of 92% in the Portuguese top-flight, in contrast to just 89% for Tottenham's Danish asset.
The latter man has also been criticised for his lack of impact at N17 of late, with talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves stating that the 27-year-old – and teammate Oliver Skipp – are "like a double appendix" as they "don't do anything in the centre of midfield".
Those struggles have contributed to Tottenham's overall woes this term – having missed out on European qualification – hence the need to land an upgrade such as Ugarte ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
