Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon.
The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has caught the attention of a number of clubs with his performances in the Champions League this season and he managed to impress against Tottenham in the group stages of the competition as well.
As per Record (h/t SportWitness), Spurs are one of the clubs keen on him.
Spurs could definitely use more depth in their midfield but it would be quite surprising if they decided to invest in a defensive midfielder instead of a creative one.
Antonio Conte already has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Yves Bissouma at his disposal and he needs to bring in someone who will add craft and goals to Tottenham’s midfield.
There is no doubt that the 21-year-old is an immense talent and the Uruguayan international has the potential to develop into a top-class player, but Spurs have other priorities now.
The midfielder reportedly has a release clause of €60 million and it seems unlikely that Sporting will sanction his departure unless the clause is paid in full.
Tottenham need to improve their squad in January but they should look to focus on signing an attacking midfielder and a full-back instead of bringing in someone like Ugarte.
The 21-year-old could prove to be a solid long-term investment for Tottenham but a move for him would make more sense at the end of the season.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Meanwhile, Sporting duo Pedro Porro and Marcus Edwards have popped up on Tottenham’s radar as well.