Reports have emerged that Tottenham Hotspur have informed Sporting Lisbon that they will be making an offer for their midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, in the upcoming summer transfer window. Ugarte has established himself as a key player in Sporting’s midfield, and has had an impressive season in both domestic and European competitions.
Tottenham had the chance to observe the 21-year-old in their two Champions League group stage games against Sporting Lisbon earlier in the season, and it was reported back in November 2022 that the North London club was interested in the youngster, according to A Bola.
Sporting Lisbon are said to be open to selling Ugarte as they need to raise funds before making any new signings this summer. The midfielder is reported to have a release clause of €60m (£53.1m) in his contract. It is believed that Tottenham has prioritised signing Ugarte, with the club allegedly promising to submit an official proposal for the Uruguay international.
While Ugarte has shown great potential, there is also a level of risk associated with signing a player who has only had one good season in the Portuguese top flight. Therefore, it is questionable whether Tottenham would be willing to pay the reported fee of £35m-£40m for the young midfielder.
Despite the potential risk, Ugarte could be worth double the amount in the future, and Tottenham could benefit from signing him early. It will be interesting to see how this situation develops in the coming months, as Ugarte’s future remains uncertain.