Chelsea reportedly identified Manuel Ugarte as an ideal partner to Enzo Fernandez, but the Blues eventually backed out of the move as PSG took the lead in the race to sign him.
Manuel Ugarte Riberio was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on April 11, 2001. He became the youngest ever player born in the 21st century to play professionally in Uruguay’s top-flight at just age 15.
The Uruguayan star joined Famalicão in Portugal for € 3 million on a five-year deal in December 2020 before moving to Sporting CP in the summer of 2021. He has made eight appearances for La Celeste and also he featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ugarte has arguably become one of Sporting’s most important players, helping them to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals this campaign. No player in the Portuguese league recorded more interceptions and tackles per 90 than the Uruguayan midfielder, 6.82, in the 2022/23 Primeira Liga season.
He drops deep in order to gain possession, he often brings the ball out of the backline and into the midfield before distributing with accuracy thanks to his solid vision. No wonder he is such a ‘hot cake’, every coach’s dream midfielder.
