Chelsea are reportedly set to announce a big signing next week, while a Serie A defender ‘will go’ to Man Utd this summer…
BLUES SET TO SEAL FIRST SIGNING
Chelsea will sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte ahead of Liverpool this summer with a deal potentially going through next week, according to reports.
The Uruguay international has impressed since arriving in Portugal at Famalicão in 2021, where he moved from Fenix, with Ugarte switching again – this time to Sporting – after only seven months.
His ability in defensive midfield has alerted a number of Premier League clubs with Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool all linked over the past few months.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed recently that French side Paris Saint-Germain had made an opening bid for the midfielder with Sporting inserting a £52m release clause into his contract.
Romano added earlier this week that “Chelsea are absolutely in the race” to land the Sporting midfielder, with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo also on their transfer “list”.
But now Uruguayan transfer insider Franco Fernandez claims that Chelsea are on the verge of sealing a deal for Ugarte and that a transfer could be announced as early as “next week”.
Fernandez wrote on Twitter: “Manuel Ugarte was on the bench [against Vizela], he did not see minutes waiting for his future for the transfer period. His arrival at Chelsea could be confirmed next week.”
KIM IS GOING TO MAN UTD
Man Utd will sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae this summer, according to reports, despite rumours that they have switched targets.
One of the Red Devils’ priorities for the summer transfer window is to sign a new centre-back with the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof currently up in the air.
Erik ten Hag has made it clear that Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are his preferred pairing at the heart of his defence when fit and there are rumours that Lindelof and Maguire could move on this summer.
Napoli’s Kim has emerged as their top target in recent months with a report last week claiming that a deal to sign the South Korea international was ‘practically done’ with Napoli set to ‘pocket €58m’.
But Spanish publication AS insisted earlier this week that Man Utd were now prepared to abandon plans to sign Kim in order to pursue Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.
Kounde has helped Barcelona to win La Liga this season but is reportedly unhappy about being made to play at right-back with centre-back his favoured position.
And that means Kounde ‘could leave this summer to land at another team that offers him the conditions he wants’ with Man Utd interested.
However, Il Mattino claim today that Kim ‘will go to Manchester United’ this summer but that Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has made it clear he won’t accept any players in return.
Napoli are ‘crystal clear’ that they want his €60m release clause met with Man Utd willing to pay it in one payment and rumours Kim has already lined up a house in Manchester to live in.
AND THE REST…
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford to extend his contract…Real Madrid will sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a deal worth up to almost £100m in add-ons…Liverpool have asked to be kept informed about the situation of Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves…Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Roma could look at Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan as they may have to sell players to meet financial fair play (FFP) rules…Tottenham are looking at making a move for Manor Solomon, who has been playing for Fulham, after Fifa said he could leave Shakhtar Donetsk on a free transfer this summer…Arsenal are considering a move for Galatasaray’s 22-year-old French defender Sacha Boey.
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