Manuel Ugarte: The battling midfielder on Chelsea's radar

Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been strongly linked with signing Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte who could provide some extra bite to Manuel Pochettino’s side.

The Blues will reportedly face competition with Paris Saint-Germain and other Premier League teams said to be keen on the Uruguay international.

Playmaker is here to give you the lowdown on Manuel Ugarte and the kind of qualities he could potentially add to Chelsea or any other team...

Background

@JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images

As a quick aside, before making it with Fénix, Ugarte was at night school looking to further his studies in either business administration or accountancy – safe to say that can wait now.

Impressive performances in his native country earned him a move to Europe with Portuguese side Famalicão. He made his debut for the club in January of 2021 and that half-season alone was enough for Sporting CP to bring the player in.

Initially, Ugarte served as a deputy to João Palhinha before gradually featuring more and more for Rúben Amorim’s side in the 2021/22 season.

With Palhinha’s move to Fulham in the summer, Ugarte has become one of the first names on the team sheet operating as the muscle at the heart of midfield in Sporting’s 3-4-3 formation.

Pros

To talk about what makes Manuel Ugarte such a prospect you have to go immediately to his tireless work rate and his tough-tackling style. With those qualities in mind you could compare him to former teammate Palhinha but Ugarte possesses perhaps an even bigger engine making him ideal for a side that loves to press high.

When it comes to tacklers in the Portuguese top flight this season, no one comes close to the numbers that Ugarte has put in. The Uruguayan won 121 tackles in the Primeira Liga total this year – 15 more than the closest player.

But Ugarte is more than just a tackler who puts in the yards. The 22-year-old also has fantastic feet allowing him to get out of tight situations and keep the ball moving for his side. 

He can at times look like a Houdini escape artist just when it looks like he might finally be overrun in midfield – a quick shuffle and a drag back and he’s free. It also helps that Ugarte possesses the upper-body strength to hold off challenges.

Mentally, Ugarte is mature beyond his years – perhaps a result of making his debut at such a young age. Even during his spell at Fénix as a fresh-faced teen, he was handed senior responsibilities with the player eventually captaining the team.

He’s able to read the game well too, with only four players having made as many interceptions in the league as him this year.

Cons

@Kapta+

Similarly, while Ugarte is a very reliable passer of the ball he likes to keep things simple. The midfielder ranks in the top ten for overall passes this season but hasn’t provided a single assist despite playing 47 games in all competitions – although if Sporting had better striking options this year that may have changed.

Finally, Ugarte can get stuck in a little too much – at least to the standards of the Portuguese referees. This season, he has fouled opponents 64 times, which puts him number one in the division. Those fouls have resulted in 11 yellow cards from 31 league games (Arsenal fans may also remember the player receiving his marching orders in their Europa League encounter at the Emirates Stadium this year).

Of course, he may get away with a few of those infractions in the Premier League.

To sign or not to sign

Any team wanting a defensive midfielder to disrupt the opposition’s play and get his team going again should be looking at acquiring Manuel Ugarte.

The player has a €60 million release clause – equivalent to about £52 million. For one of the bigger sides that has that kind of cash to spare, the arrival of a player who only just turned 22 last month but already has several seasons of experience seems like a no-brainer.

Meanwhile, opposition teams will have to learn to act quickly before Ugarte is there to take the ball away from you.