Manuel Ugarte: Paris Saint-Germain close on Sporting midfielder after Chelsea withdraw interest – reports

Manuel Ugarte is expected to complete a move to Paris Saint-Germain this week after Chelsea withdrew their interest in the Sporting midfielder, according to reports.

The same outlet – and others – reported that the midfielder had his medical with the Ligue 1 champions on Monday.

Per the Athletic, that led to PSG drafting a letter – which they ultimately didn’t send to Sporting – detailing their concerns over the deal.

Chelsea withdrew from the process shortly after the publication of L’Equipe’s report, but club sources were reported to have cited the size of the proposed fee as the reason.

As such, the path looks clear for Ugarte to join PSG as the club undergo an overhaul this summer.

Reports have also suggested that boss Christophe Galtier will leave the club this summer.

PSG won the Ligue 1 title this term, but failed once again in the Champions League, the competition that has become a priority for the club’s Qatari ownership.

Ugarte began his career at Fenix in Montevideo, before moving to Portugal with Famalicao in late 2020.

He transferred again in the following summer to Sporting, where has made 56 appearances across two seasons, impressing in central midfield with a series of tenacious displays.

Ugarte has eight caps for Uruguay and featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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