PSG Signs Manuel Ugarte
The PSG rebuild continues as the club announced the signing of Manuel Ugarte on Friday, with the club paying a fee of €60 million ($65.32 million) to Portuguese side Sporting CP to secure his services.
Manuel Ugarte officially becomes a new PSG player on €60m deal. https://t.co/yRmC45sOQh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 7, 2023
The defensive midfielder, who has been capped eight times by Uruguay, has signed a five-year contract with the club that will keep him in the French capital until 2028. He will wear the jersey number four next year.
Ugarte joins after spending the last two years in Lisbon. During that time, he continued his path as one of the most promising defensive midfielders in the world. He became Sporting’s key figure in the midfield, doing the dirty work that allowed the club’s other midfielders more freedom going forward.
To highlight just how good Ugarte was defensively last season, he made more tackles and interceptions a game than any other player in the top seven leagues of the world who played over 900 minutes.
While he has become known for his elite defensive ability, Ugarte is also more than competent on the ball. He is able to start attacks from the back, dropping toward the backline to receive balls and comfortably move possession up the field.
While most of the attention this transfer window has been on Declan Rice, Ugarte is arguably a better defensive midfielder than the Englishman. At 22-years-old, Ugarte has the potential to continue to improve as well, making him an attractive transfer target for many big clubs.
Chelsea was PSG’s main rival in the race to sign the talented Uruguayan. However, PSG ultimately won the race, and Ugarte is now set to be a key player for new manager Luis Enrique’s squad next season.
Ugarte is PSG’s third signing of this transfer window. The club also announced Marco Asensio and Milan Škriniar as new players on Thursday.
The PSG rebuild is in full effect following Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos‘s departures from the club. Kylian Mbappé also looks determined to leave, while Neymar might follow suit.
Ugarte is now part of a new-look PSG side under Luis Enrique. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his stellar form in the French capital next year.
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