Chelsea are confident that the club will win the race to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte, despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Maurico Pochettino has made the signing of the midfielder a priority as he prepares to take charge of Chelsea next season and the west Londoners are in negotiations over a deal.
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Ugarte has impressed during a breakout season that has seen the 21-year-old lead Portugal’s Primeira Liga for tackles won and pass accuracy, with Chelsea discussing the details of a deal with Sporting Lisbon.
The Uruguayan has a release clause of around €60m (£53m) in his contract and Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Chelsea are ‘very confident’ of concluding a deal.
Chelsea remain ‘cautious’ given interest from Paris Saint-Germain but consider negotiations to be at an advanced stage.
The transfer will not include David Datro Fofana moving in the opposite direction, despite speculation suggesting the forward could be used as a makeweight, potentially on loan.
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