Transfer News: Manuel Ugarte’s agent answers prospects of Liverpool move
Manuel Ugarte’s agent Jorge Chijane was directly asked in an interview to give his verdict on the player’s potential transfer to Liverpool.
As per Record (h/t Liverpool Echo), Liverpool have been preparing to make their first bid to sign Ugarte this summer. The Uruguayan midfielder is also believed to have a release clause, which stands at £52.2million.
With speculation rife about a move to Liverpool, who are in dire need of a midfield revamp, Chijane was directly asked about Ugarte’s potential move to Anfield.
He told Portuguese outlet O Jogo (as translated to English):
“Liverpool? There is a lot of talk, but it is not the only club, there are others. There’s a lot of talk, but I’m still not sure about the club. There are many hypotheses on the table. I believe that in 15 days the situation will be resolved.”
Being his agent, perhaps Chijane is divulging less than what he actually knows, but that is normal. This could even be a ploy to get other clubs to the table or not show his hand before something stellar is agreed with the Reds.
But at least he seemed to have hinted that Liverpool are in the race for the highly-rated 22-year-old midfielder. He plays as a defensive midfielder and is adept at shielding his centre-backs, tackling, interceptions, and passing, as per WhoScored.com’s metrics.
The youngster would bring much-needed competition for Fabinho Tavares and he can also double up as a No. 8, although it cannot be stressed enough that Ugarte’s strengths lie in playing as a No. 6.
Hopefully, the Reds are able to see this move through. The biggest clubs in Portugal have been known to sell their players to the big fishes in Europe for impressive profits in the 21st century. Manuel Ugarte could be the latest big name to depart Sporting CP.
More Liverpool News:
- Liverpool and Arsenal urged to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney by former Chelsea man Tony Cascarino
- Di Marzio says Liverpool are very keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella
- Liverpool told to buy new right-back as Trent Alexander-Arnold should shift to midfield
But even if the Portuguese club have accepted that they will need to sell him, it remains to be seen if fulfilling the aforementioned release clause is the only way for the Reds to sign him. More than that, the player will also have to be sold on the idea of moving to Anfield over other suitors.
