MY ACCOUNT
Manuel Ugarte’s stock is rising rapidly and Liverpool are taking notice.
The 22-year-old Sporting midfielder impressed in Europe this season, with the Portuguese giants reaching the Europa League quarter-finals.
Now the Reds are reportedly eyeing up a move as they look to rebuild their engine room, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all set to leave Merseyside.
As Jurgen Klopp’s men prepare to face Brentford, we examine what the Uruguayan hot prospect would bring to Anfield.
Reds’ midfield revamp
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has pointed to a lack of investment in midfield as a key reason for the Reds’ poor season.
He said: “I was disappointed by Klopp. Liverpool did not buy a midfield player last summer. As a fanbase, we were waiting for [Jude] Bellingham. It wasn’t said in public but we know in Liverpool circles we were waiting for the right one.
“Liverpool didn’t exactly throw this season away but they’re short in midfield and we accepted that because they have done that before. They did it with [Virgil] van Dijk and Alisson, the goalkeeper.”
It is a situation that will need to be rectified and Ugarte could be part of a summer splurge on midfield reinforcements.
Defensive diamond
Ugarte is a ball-winning machine for Sporting.
The Montevideo native has won 63 tackles in the Primeira Liga this season, more than any other player in the division.
He also ranks inside the league’s top 10 players for interceptions made, with 51 to date, acting as the primary cover in front of Ruben Amorim’s defence.
Ball security
Ugarte also boasts an outstanding passing game, which helps his side dominate possession.
He has completed a commendable 1280 passes in the Primeira Liga this term, with an accuracy of 91.2% — only two players in Portugal’s top flight have a better record.
And the eight-cap international is similarly impressive with the ball at his feet.
Though he has yet to match last season’s eye-catching take-on success rate of 81.8%, he is nonetheless an important figure when it comes to driving play forward for Amorim’s men.
Anfield bound
Following a string of impressive performances in both the Champions League and Europa League, Liverpool are believed to have taken an interest in Ugarte.
In fact, reports suggest that the Reds have already opened talks for the £50million-rated midfielder’s services.
Sporting boss Amorim remained coy when responding to reports of his anchorman’s potential departure, however.
Laughingly, he said: “I read in the newspaper he was already sold. Let’s see what happens in the future.”
Beware the Bees
Liverpool’s chase for continental football continues this evening, against a strong Brentford side.
Manager Thomas Frank has enjoyed a brilliant season with the Bees, which continued with a dramatic 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest last time out.
If Klopp’s side are able to make a late burst into the Champions League places then it would be a significant boost to their finances and pulling power this summer.
That could be key to getting a deal for Ugarte over the line.
