Liverpool have added Sporting Club de Portugal midfielder Manuel Ugarte to their list of options for the summer as they plan their midfield revamp, and work to beat Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur to the deal.
That’s according to O Jogo, who say the Reds have ‘initiated initial contacts’ for the player as they try to ‘gauge readiness’ for the deal to happen.
The newspaper explains that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to reshape his midfield in the summer transfer window and has already laid out some targets in that regard.
He wants to add a more combative midfielder to his group to free up the creative players in his midfield and Ugarte fits the bill perfectly.
Thus, initial contacts have begun, although they know that they may need to move quickly for him as there is plenty of interest in Ugarte elsewhere in the Premier League.
The big issue is that they are currently 7th in the table and may be unable to offer European football next season but their history could play into their hands.
O Jogo explain that their status as one of England’s most historic sides, never mind in Europe, makes them the ‘dream of any player’ and Liverpool can use that to their advantage.
Whether he ends up at Anfield remains to be seen but what is certain is that Ugarte will be one of the big summer sales at Sporting, who need to raise money from player exits.
They’re set to increase their stake in the player to 70% once he plays two more games but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the player to a new deal and increase his release clause beyond it’s current €60m figure.
Whether Liverpool, or any of the other suitors, are willing to pay that remains to be seen but they are certainly in the mix and have opened contacts about a potential transfer.
