Agent says £52m player set to leave after claims Tottenham are keen to sign him

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte in recent weeks.

Record, via Sport Witness, recently claimed that Spurs are getting ready to launch a serious bid for Ugarte.

However, Tottenham are far from the only club reportedly eyeing the Uruguay international.

With so many top Premier League clubs looking for midfielders this summer, Ugarte seems to be in demand.

The likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Liverpool are apparently in pursuit of the 22-year-old.

Now, Ugarte’s agent has made an exciting claim which suggests the race is wide open for the player.

“It’s almost certain that he won’t stay, it’s sure he’ll leave”, Jorge Chijane told O Jogo.

“I’ll be in Lisbon soon. I trust Jorge Mendes, who is the best businessman in the world.

“In fact, when I told him about Ugarte for the first time, he said to me: ‘Your eyes are my eyes’.”

Chijane also warned Liverpool that they’re not the only club being considered.

“Liverpool? There is a lot of talk, but it is not the only one club, there are others.

“There is much talk, but I am still not sure about the club. There are many hypotheses on the table.

“I believe that in 15 days the situation will be resolved.”

Our view

Tottenham are in need of bolstering their ranks in wake of a difficult season and chaos behind the scenes.

Spurs are looking for a new permanent manager, while their sporting director situation is still uncertain.

Tottenham have brought in Scott Munn as the club’s chief football officer.

However, Spurs are widely expected to hire someone to work beneath him.

Hopefully it won’t be long before they can settle those uncertainties and establish a solid transfer agenda.

Ugarte would be a great signing for Spurs and, at £52million – his release clause – he’s not too expensive.

He has been likened to Aurelien Tchouameni and Casemiro, two midfielders of the highest calibre.

Better still, it looks as though he’ll definitely be on the move, so Tottenham will fancy their chances.