Chelsea have offered the Sporting Lisbon midfielder a contract Manuel Ugarte As they look to beat Paris Saint-Germain and other Premier League sides to his signature, Sources told Football Insider.
London has already committed to a long-term deal for the wanted man, possibly until 2028, so there is no need to worry about personal terms.
The 22-year-old has been scouted several times throughout the season and has now been identified as Mauricio Pochettino’s main target this summer.
Like most clubs, Chelsea have already started their summer work, with Ugarte joining Romeo Lavia as a deal in progress.
Chelsea are in for a huge summer and the huge number of people in and out of the club should have plans for Pochettino and his recruiting team.
The Blues have made it clear to Sporting that they are ready to take on Paris Saint-Germain by paying a £52m release clause for the Uruguay international.
The club can also be confident, with Ugarte eager to move to the Premier League and play in what he considers the best league in world football.
Negotiations are set to continue next week and are expected to move forward quickly as PSG and Chelsea try to seal their goals before the likes of Newcastle settle in.
Mauricio Pochettino will be officially in charge as Chelsea’s new manager for a few weeks, but he is understood to be eager to secure some targets as soon as possible.
Manuel Ugarte has played 47 times for Sporting Lisbon this season and played 3,574 games and is the key to the team. He has also been named high-level by the national team eight times.
In other news, Pochettino has started work for Chelsea – transfer lined up