Chelsea have lost the race for the signatures of 22-year-old Sporting CP defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have failed to acquire the services of Manuel Ugarte. The Blues were keen on having the 22-year-old in their ranks ahead of next season but they have failed to sign him.

Paris Saint-Germain have managed to come out on top in the pursuit of the Uruguayan international. The French club are all set to pay the €60 million release clause to Sporting CP for the services of the 22-year-old. Ugarte is currently in Paris for his medical as per Romano and is expected to sign the contract in the next few hours.

The Sporting midfielder was on the radar of Chelsea for a while but they failed to strike a deal for his services. The Blues withdrew from the pursuit around 12 hours before an agreement was reached between the player and PSG.

The 22-year-old midfielder who joined Sporting back in the summer of 2021 has gone from strength to strength over the past few seasons. His performances had attracted a lot of attention and he was on the radar of multiple clubs from across Europe.

Ugarte was the mainstay of the Portuguese club and despite having a contract with them until the summer of 2026, it was certain that his release clause would be triggered ahead of next season.

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PSG and Chelsea were both ready to trigger his release. As a result, it all boiled down to the wages and the Blues’ initial offer was way below what the French club had offered.

The Paris-based club offered him €5 million a year while the English club’s initial offer was €2 million a year. While the Blues did inform his agent about an improved offer of around €3.5 million plus add-ons, the Blues never really stood a chance in front of PSG’s offer.

The French club flexed its financial power and managed to defeat Chelsea in their pursuit of the 22-year-old. And, the Blues will now have to look elsewhere for a defensive midfielder who can provide cover for N’Golo Kante and eventually take over from the French World Cup winner.

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