The Sporting CP midfielder’s agent, Manuel Ugarte, hopes his client’s future will be “resolved in 15 days” amid interest from Liverpool and other Premier League clubs.
The Uruguay international has enjoyed a stellar pair of seasons in the Portuguese capital following his 2021 signing from Famalicao, notably playing a starring role in Sporting’s triumphs against north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, in European competitions this season, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.
Several Premier League teams have shown their appreciation for Ugarte, including Liverpool, who have him on their midfield list and are one of the clubs most interested in a deal.
Aston Villa are also fond of Ugarte, while Newcastle, West Ham and Wolves have followed him of late.
But despite there being widespread liking for Ugarte and his skills, sources have told 90min that interested parties value him at around £30m, a figure roughly £20m below his current release clause.
However, Ugarte’s agent Jorge Chijane has told Portuguese outlet O Jogo that the 22-year-old will likely leave Sporting this summer and that Jorge Mendes will help broker a deal; he even hopes that a solution will be found in the next two years. weeks.
“It’s almost certainly going to go away,” Chijane said. Soon I will be in Lisbon. I trust Jorge Mendes, who is the best businessman in the world. In fact, when I first told him about Ugarte, he told me: ‘Your eyes are my eyes.’
“There is a lot of talk, but it is not the only club, there are others,” he continued when asked directly about Liverpool’s interest.
“There is a lot of talk, but I’m still not sure about the club [Ugarte will join]. There are many hypotheses on the table. I think that in 15 days the situation will be resolved.”
Tottenham, who have seen plenty of Sporting games in the last 12 months (they signed Pedro Porro in January and are still interested in Pedro Goncalves), like Ugarte but don’t think he’s at the top of their list of players. summer transfer goals.
Arsenal have also sent scouts to keep an eye on Ugarte in previous months, but their interest has cooled and they are focusing on other targets.
