Report: Tottenham have now made their move to sign £52m player they've played against this season

By Sam Preston

Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with Portuguese outfit Sporting to sign central midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias report that Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain have made their move to sign the anchorman.

Spurs have of course seen Ugarte up close already this season as he played in the 2-0 defeat Sporting inflicted on them in the Champions League.

And he is set to travel to north London before the end of the month to face Spurs in the fifth Champions League matchday of the season.

Tottenham want Ugarte

But there is bad news for Spurs as Ugarte should soon sign a contract renewal at Sporting, which will see his release clause increase.

It currently sits at 60 million euros (£52.1 million) but the new deal will make it 80 million euros (£65.5 million).

The new deal only adds another year to his stay, until 2027, and offers a pay rise but not to a salary that Spurs or PSG should find it difficult to match.

Spurs added to their midfield with Yves Bissouma during the summer but if this report is to be believed, Antonio Conte still wants more.

Ugarte would not come cheap and it seems likely Spurs and Daniel Levy would try and negotiate a deal for lower than his release clause anyway.

But PSG in the mix does not help as they can push the transfer fee and salary up to a level that Spurs would struggle to match.