Leeds United could end up missing out on signing Sporting Club de Portugal midfielder Manuel Ugarte this summer as they have ‘frozen signings’ as they fight for their Premier League future.
That’s according to O Jogo, who say Leeds have watched the midfielder ‘closely’ this season, both in Portugal and when Sporting took on Arsenal in the Europa League.
They’ve been watching him for some time but face competition from several sides in the Premier League, with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Tottenham all interested in him as well.
Of those side, Newcastle seem ready to move as they’re set to qualify for the Champions League and have vast funds to bolster their squad to boot.
That’s not the case for Leeds, who are very much in the relegation battle, something which looks likely to go down to the wire.
That danger, according to O Jogo, has led to them having ‘frozen signings’ for the time being as they put the battle for Premier League survival first and foremost on their list of priorities.
That makes sense, but there is also the financial aspect to consider as Ugarte has a €60m release clause that may need to be met by whoever wants to win Ugarte’s signature this summer.
That would be a big outlay for Leeds, indeed it would be a record deal, and it seems that and any other potential deals have now been stopped while their future remains uncertain.
