Despite spending over £600m in the last two transfer windows, Chelsea are determined to flex their financial muscle again this summer.
US billionaire owner Todd Boehly has not been shy in opening the chequebook since he took over from Roman Abramovich, but despite spending huge sums of money and recruiting multiple players, the Blues have struggled on the pitch.
Failing to gel, the Chelsea squad endured an awful campaign that saw them finish as low as 12th in the Premier League table.
And to ensure the side does not slump to the same disappointing standards again next season, Boehly, after hiring Mauricio Pochettino, will once again use the transfer market as a way to improve the team’s chances of success.
Chelsea Football Club is pleased to announce Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s new head coach!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 29, 2023
One name who looks to be the first through the Stamford Bridge door this summer is Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Despite also being wanted by Paris Saint-Germain, the 22-year-old defensive midfielder appears closest to joining Chelsea, and shedding some light on just how advanced the Blues’ negotiations are, transfer journalist Dean Jones recently reported that efforts to sign the Uruguayan have ‘accelerated’.
“It’s certainly accelerated faster than I anticipated, to be honest,” Jones told GiveMeSport.
“We’ll now have to see how quickly it can continue to move forward and what the momentum is.
“We know Chelsea are interested, but the rate at which this has been moving forward makes me think that they’re keen to get it done very quickly.”
During his two years at Sporting Lisbon, Ugarte, who has three years left on his deal, has scored one goal and provided three assists in 85 matches in all competitions.