With Chelsea having reportedly pulled out of the race for his signing, Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte is set to become Paris Saint-Germain’s first arrival of the summer, as the Ligue 1 champions look set to trigger the €60m release clause in his Sporting CP contract.
Watching on as Uruguay saw off Nicaragua for Marcelo Bielsa’s first game in charge, Ugarte himself confirmed to journalists that his move to the French capital was complete, as reported by Portuguese outlet Record:
“The truth is that now I have to rest a bit before starting with PSG. I’m going to a massive club, it still hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m going to try and get started with everything. It’s true that Messi is leaving. It would have been great to play with him, but that’s the way football goes. But I’m very happy.”
The defensive midfielder leaves the Lisbon side after two seasons, during which he has made 85 appearances in all competitions. Along with the arrival of Marco Asensio on a free transfer from Real Madrid, PSG will be hoping his signing can reinforce a midfield department which has been the subject of criticism this past season – with summer arrivals Fabián Ruiz and Carlos Soler having struggled to make a significant impact.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin