Tottenham interested in midfielder on PSG radar - reports
Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are among four teams linked with Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte, as per Portugal outlet Record (h/t SportWitness).
He joined the Lisbon-based giants from Famalicao after the end of the 2020-21 season and signed a contract that expires in the summer of 2026. He has quickly become a reliable member of manager Ruben Amorim's first-team set-up and has 47 appearances for his new club so far.
The report mentions that Spurs recently contacted the Portuguese side intending to sign the 21-year-old midfielder in the near future. For his age, Ugarte has plenty of experience in Portugal's top division. It is understandable why clubs such as PSG, Leicester City, and Atletico Madrid have also been linked with him.
Those in Spurs' decision-making chambers would have had a first-hand look at Ugarte when the Lilywhites visited Estadio Jose Alvalade earlier this month. He started for Sporting in the 2-0 UEFA Champions League group stage win on September 13.
Manager Antonio Conte has reportedly been in touch with Rodrigo Bentancur to enquire about Ugarte. The two midfielders are teammates in the Uruguay national team. They are expected to be named in their country's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The former FC Famalicao midfielder can play as a number six as well as a number eight in midfield. In that regard, it would be simple to draw similarities between him and current Tottenham defender Eric Dier.
The England international left Sporting CP for Spurs in 2014 as a 20-year-old. He played as a defensive midfielder in his formative years and now plays as a centre-back.
Spurs and PSG both bolstered their midfield this summer.
Manager Antonio Conte oversaw the arrival of Yves Bissouma at N17 while PSG signed Renato Sanches, Vitinha, Carlos Soler, and Fabian Ruiz.
PSG and Tottenham failed to sign Per Schuurs this summer
According to Per Schuurs' representative George Gardi, Tottenham, PSG, and Liverpool wanted to sign the Dutch centre-back this summer.
Schuurs ended up leaving Ajax to join Torino and replace Juventus-bound Gleison Bremer at the heart of Il Toro's defense. Gardi told Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia):
“The first time the [Torino] director showed the desire to get Perr, I thought it was impossible as Tottenham, PSG and Liverpool had made their moves."
He added:
"[Marc] Overmars had rejected higher offers than the one made by Torino. His plan was to keep him at the club for a couple of seasons and sell him for a high fee, similar to [Matthijs] De Ligt."
Torino paid a fee of €11 million including add-ons to sign the former Fortuna Sittard defender. So far, he has appeared in three out of a possible six Serie A games for his new side.