Leeds United have reportedly approached Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte over a potential summer transfer.
What’s the latest transfer news out of Elland Road?
The Whites are currently battling to stay in the Premier League, with Javi Gracia’s side sitting just two points above the relegation zone with seven games remaining.
However, it looks as if the club are making preparations ahead of the summer transfer window, with Barcelona teenager Ilias Akhomach closing in on a move to Yorkshire.
Midfield reinforcements also look set to be on the wishlist, providing things go to plan on the pitch over the coming weeks, with Ugarte emerging as a top target.
Sport Witness relayed an update from Record regarding Leeds and Ugarte. They stated that the Whites, and by extension likely new owners in the summer the 49ers Enterprises, have made a few approaches towards Ugarte’s representatives, with those at Elland Road having him down as a target for the summer window.
Victor Orta is thought to be a fan of the midfielder, who has a release clause set at €60m, a fee which would smash the current transfer record in Yorkshire. That may need to be triggered in a transfer, especially as Sporting would ideally want that figure set at €80m.
Who is Ugarte and who could he replace at Leeds?
Ugarte is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also turn out in a central midfield role, with the 22-year-old seemingly at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.
A Uruguay international, Ugarte has been hailed as a "midfield machine" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and has made 41 appearances in all competitions this season.
It looks as if midfielders could be required at Elland Road over the coming months as well after reports on two separate Leeds midfielders. Adam Forshaw looks set to be let go at the end of the campaign when his contract expires despite recently returning from injury.
Meanwhile, loanee Weston McKennie looks set to return to Juventus over the coming months, with Leeds not expected to trigger a clause to make his transfer permanent in a £30m deal, despite the USA international making 13 appearances after arriving on loan at the end of January.
Therefore, Leeds could be left with just Tyler Adams and Marc Roca as their only senior holding and central midfield options, showing how Ugarte could prove to be a much-needed addition at Leeds, and it looks as if the ground over a possible transfer is being laid.