Journalist Pete O’Rourke has provided his thoughts on reported Newcastle United transfer target Manuel Ugarte.
What’s the word?
According to recent claims from Portugal (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are believed to have made contact regarding a potential summer swoop for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder, with the 21-year-old said to have ‘caught the eye’ of numbers of clubs across Europe of late.
The suggestion is that even though the Uruguay international is open to signing a new deal with the Primeira Liga outfit, he is not keen on agreeing to an increase on his current €60m (£53m) release clause, opening the possibility for the Tynesiders to pounce.
Asked in an interview for Football FanCast whether the six-cap titan would be a ‘statement signing’ for Eddie Howe and co were he to join Newcastle, O’Rourke suggested that it could well be an astute prospective signing for the St James’ Park outfit, albeit with rival suitors also circling for his signature.
The respected insider stated: “Yeah, again, Ugarte is a top player, central midfielder who can play the defensive midfield role or slightly further forward. A Uruguay international, played in the Champions League for Sporting Lisbon so he’s got really good pedigree.
“Tottenham have been linked with him in the past as well as have other Premier League clubs. So yeah, he’s got a lot of interested suitors.”
‘Phenomenal’ deal for Newcastle
While perhaps something of a lesser-known name to some Newcastle supporters, Ugarte has shown his class both in Europe and domestically in recent times, having been simply “phenomenal” for his current club of late according to writer Zach Lowy.
The highly-coveted “warrior” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – currently leads the way in the Champions League for tackles made per 90 (4.8), having also made the most tackles in a single game in the competition this season with 12 in his team’s 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Such ball-winning brilliance has ensured that the midfield machine ranks in the top 1% for tackles, the top 2% for interceptions and the top 3% for blocks made among those in his position in the ‘men’s next eight competitions’, according to FBref.
Clearly a rock in front of the back four, the Montevideo native has also been a consistent presence in the Portuguese top flight so far this season. He has averaged 3.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, also showcasing his quality on the ball with a pass accuracy rate of 91% from his 18 league outings.
That standout record so far in 2022/23 appears to illustrate just why it would be a real masterstroke if Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth can land the Uruguayan midfielder this summer, with Ugarte able to help bolster an area of the pitch which looks rather light on Tyneside following the January exit of Jonjo Shelvey to Nottingham Forest.
Although there will clearly be competition to sign such an in-form asset, it would surely prove a ‘phenomenal’ deal for Ashworth if he can secure that marquee capture ahead of next season.
