CHELSEA will reportedly sign Manuel Ugarte after agreeing to pay his release clause.
The Sporting Lisbon midfielder is rated as one of the best young midfielders in Europa after impressing with the Portuguese side.
The Blues have agreed to pay his £52 million release clause that will see him become Mauricio Pochettino’s first signing as manager, according to Portuguese outlet Record.
The report claims that the Stamford Bridge side have beaten PSG to the midfielder’s signature.
It goes as far as to say that the deal “is closed”, with Ugarte opting for a move to the Premier League over France.
The outlet suggests that after two weeks of “intense” meetings, the chance to play against “top teams like Man City” is a dream for Ugarte.
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However, it also claims that the deal is not done as details still need to be ironed out before the move is official.
It would be hoped that Ugarte can provide more protection to the club’s defensive line that failed to impress last season
The deal would be Chelsea’s first of the summer as they look to strengthen the squad after a disappointing season.
The Blues finished the last Premier League campaign in the bottom half of the table and failed to go deep in any of the cups they competed for.
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This was despite a £600m spend on talent by new owner Todd Boehly.
The summer transfer window looks set to be a busy one for the Blues as they look to back Pochettino in the market.
As well as incomings it is expected that there will be plenty of outgoings from Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount looked set for a move to Manchester United, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been linked with AC Milan.
Trevoh Chalobah, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Édouard Mendy are all on the list that the club could cash in on.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
