Chelsea have now pulled out of the running to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte, according to reports.
The Blues have been competing with Paris Saint-Germain to sign the Uruguayan star for the start of the summer transfer window and have held talks with the player’s representatives over the past few weeks.
Both Chelsea and PSG were willing to meet the €60m (£52.2m) buyout clause in Ugarte’s deal with Sporting, but it appeared that he was favouring a move to the Premier League.
- Mason Mount finally breaks silence on Man Utd potential move
- Reece James reacts to Mason Mount’s potential move to Man Utd
- Bruno Fernandes reveals mood in dressing room after FA Cup final defeat
But, both A Bola and Record reported on Sunday that PSG improved their initial contract proposal and the West London side are now unwilling to match the offer from the French giants.
According to Record, PSG’s contract offer moved from €5m (£4.3m) to €10m (£8.6m) per season, and, Chelsea had medical tests booked for Ugarte as they were confident he would reject a move to Paris.
Chelsea are said to be wary of paying over the odds for Ugarte, which puts PSG in pole position to complete the signing of the Sporting midfielder, unless he accepts a lower offer.
Mauricio Pochettino has also spoken to Ugarte regarding a move to Chelsea this summer, but it appears he will miss out on one of his midfield targets.
The club’s decision to withdraw from the race to sign Ugarte could mean that they will make a renewed push for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo this summer.
A very late approach was made by Chelsea in January, while Arsenal also saw a number of offers – including a bid of £70m – turned down by Brighton.
