A trio of Premier League giants are looking at prolific Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde ahead of the January window.
According to TBR, Arsenal, Chelse, and Manchester City are among a number of clubs looking closely at Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde. The Costa Rican forward has shown prolific form in the Russian league, as he’s seen as a decent addition by the top sides, potentially to play back up to their existing starting centre-forward.
The January window usually comes with its challenges, as the timing of this market, as well as the inflated prices, makes key transfer difficult. Such was the case last time out, when most clubs refrained from making any moves, with PSR also playing its part in curtailing the spending.
Even this time, some of the Premier League sides are eager to sign a new striker, and given that all sides might look to strengthen that position, the options might be limited. For instance, Arsenal are being urged to sign a new striker that will elevate their overall quality, with links to Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.
Realistically, these names will cost massively in the winter market, which makes their arrival difficult, if not impossible. Hence, should Mikel Arteta choose to sign a striker, he might go for someone who could deputise or cover for Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. They are also linked with Randal Kolo Muani, who could be available on loan, and now other names are emerging, like Spartak Moscow star Manfred Ugalde.
Chelsea are in a similar boat, as they might wait until the summer to sign a top-draw striker, and hence, the links to Ugalde make sense, while they are also interested in Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap. The Spartak Moscow star has still proven his prolific presence in the frontline with 15 goals in 17 games this season in the Russian league.
Manchester City present in Manfred Ugalde’s chase
Arsenal and Chelsea still have some backup options to their current first choice; the same cannot be said about Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has relied on the availability and goalscoring prowess of Erling Haaland more than he should. At the same time, the decision not to replace Julian Alvarez in the summer might have come at a cost.
Ungalde’s €25 million release clause will let him move to another club quite easily, and this could be a significant factor for those Premier League sides. There might be approaches made in the January window, as it will be interesting to see if either of those three sides bet on the Costa Rican striker.
