Paris Saint-Germain appears to have won the Manuel Ugarte sweepstakes. The capital club beat out Chelsea to sign the 22-year-old defender, who preferred the French giant’s project.
CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs reported on Sunday that the Premier League club pulled out of the race for the Uruguayan international. A report from L’Equipe revealed that even Sporting Lisbon wanted Ugarte to take Chelsea’s offer.
Exclusive: Chelsea have pulled out of the race for Manuel Ugarte. More to follow
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 4, 2023
The information from France revealed that the London-base club’s proposal was unprecedented. The Blues were willing to pay the release clause, which is €60 million, solidarity mechanisms and a minority investment in the Portuguese club.
If Chelsea and Sporting had concluded the transfer, UEFA would have had to examine this type of unusual negotiation. Additionally, Ugarte’s contract with Chelsea would have been for eight years, which will also be analyzed.
Nonetheless, from a PSG perspective, it seems as though sporting advisor Luis Campos secured the midfielder he wants to fill the role of a No. 6. The capital club hopes that Ugarte can finally replace Thiago Motta, as PSG hasn’t been successful in finding a successor since he left the club in 2018.
