Wolverhampton Wanderers are thought to be one of a number of Premier League clubs keen on signing Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
What’s the latest on Wolves and Ugarte?
Ugarte has made a total of 75 appearances for Sporting after joining back in 2021, 37 of which have come during the current campaign. Primarily a defensive midfielder who can also turn out in a central midfield role, the Uruguay international appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.
The 21-year-old actually shares the same agency as ten Wolves players and it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be on the cards this summer. MOT Leeds News relayed an update from the print edition of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo in the last 48 hours regarding Ugarte, claiming that Leeds are in the race for the midfielder.
However, the report also added that Wolves, and by extension chairman Jeff Shi and sporting director Matt Hobbs, are keen alongside Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, AC Milan and AS Roma. Ugarte has a £52.7m release clause in his current deal and is under contract until 2026.
Would Ugarte be a good signing at Molineux?
It looks as if manager Julen Lopetegui could be in need of a new star midfielder this summer, especially with speculation that Ruben Neves is already negotiating a move to Manchester United.
Should an exit materialise for Neves, a move for someone like Ugarte could be viewed as key by those at Molineux, with Neves the top performer for Wolves this season, as per WhoScored. The joint top scorer has averaged a Premier League match rating of 7.00/10, and leads the way for number of passes per 90 and shots per game.
However, Ugarte has actually outperformed the Wolves man this season, averaging a better match rating, while also completing more tackles and interceptions per 90. His displays have resulted in football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled Ugarte as a "midfield machine", so he could prove to be a shrewd replacement for Neves, potentially making this one to keep an eye on, providing Wolves remain in the top-flight.
