Tottenham want Manuel Ugarte but Sporting are now offering him a new deal with a staggering €80million (£70million) release clause in place.
Spurs did add to their midfield over the summer by bringing in Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Bissouma has yet to really push Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for playing time whilst Oliver Skipp is another option.
Some believe that Tottenham will ultimately need to upgrade their midfield ranks to really challenge the top clubs though and Fabio Paratici is on the hunt.
Tottenham want Manuel Ugarte
The latest name mentioned is Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Record claim that Tottenham have joined Paris Saint-Germain in enquiring about a potential deal for Ugarte.
However, Sporting are pushing to tie the Uruguayan down to a new contract that includes a nice pay rise.
Sporting do though want to ramp up the release clause in Ugarte’s contract from €60million (£53million) to €80million (£70million).
Sporting seemingly realise that big clubs are now knocking on the door for Ugarte and they want added protection against a future transfer.
Ugarte, 21, plays with Rodrigo Bentancur in the Uruguayan national team setup and they could join forces in North London.
The holding midfielder – who joined Sporting from Famalicao in 2021 – has impressed as a combative yet mobile and technically-impressive player.
Tottenham saw Ugarte first-hand last month as he started for Sporting in their 2-0 Champions League win over Spurs.
Ugarte racked up three tackles and four interceptions in an outstanding display, helping shackle Tottenham going forward.
That game may have put Ugarte on Paratici’s radar and Tottenham seemingly fancy luring him to the Premier League in 2023.
Yet if Ugarte does sign this new contract, Tottenham would face paying a huge price to make a deal happen next year.
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