Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte, with Newcastle United also tracking the Uruguay international.
According to O Jogo, Unai Emery’s side are now chasing the South American superstar amid growing Premier League interest in Ugarte, with Newcastle, Leeds United and Tottenham also keen on signing the ‘incredible’ 21-year-old.
Ugarte has been one of the best players in Portugal this season and has played a key role in getting Sporting to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, though the youngster was sent off against Arsenal in their round-of-16 clash at the Emirates Stadium.
A combative midfielder tipped to go straight to the top, it makes sense why Villa are now interested in signing Ugarte, with Unai Emery keen to add to his options this summer with players who could play at Villa Park for many years to come.
Indeed, Ugarte’s €60m (£53m) release clause may be a sticking point for Villa, though. However, given how much financial backing Emery is expected to have in the summer transfer window, the club-record fee could be worth it for the ambitious Premier League side.
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Moreover, with rivals such as Newcastle and Leeds all keeping tabs on Ugarte, Villa could be tempted to jump the gun and trigger the midfielder’s release clause early on in the window to guarantee the Uruguayan’s signature, a deal that could be one of the best any Premier League side makes this summer.
Villa signing Ugarte could transform their expectations for next season
Ugarte is well on his way to becoming one of the best midfielders in world football after a sensational season with Sporting, and for Villa, beating their English rivals to the 21-year-old’s signature would be nothing short of impressive, and it could potentially change expectations for next year.
As we know, Emery is expected to target Europe in his first full season in charge at Villa, and with Ugarte in the midfield alongside the likes of John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara, the Villians could have a real shot at cracking into the top-seven.
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