Liverpool are not targeting a move to sign Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte this summer.
The Reds have been heavily linked with the 22-year-old over recent weeks. Reports from Portugal and his native Uruguay have insisted that a deal is being discussed with Liverpool.
But now, according to GOAL, ‘Anfield sources’ have dismissed these rumours. They reportedly claim that Ugarte is actually not a target for the Reds this year.
Disappointing for some, perhaps. But thankfully, GOAL do go on to name the players that are indeed on Liverpool’s agenda.
Inevitably, they’re not new names, though. The well-worn trio of Mason Mount, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are put forward as being assessed, among a ‘host’ of other options.
Mixed reports on Ugarte
The case of Ugarte is quite a bizarre one. Earlier in the week, the player’s agent even named Liverpool as one of the sides really pushing to sign his client before the start of next season. As a result of that, Sporting are said to have warned the Reds against taking talks any further.
And yet, the British media haven’t recognised Liverpool’s interest in him. As this piece from GOAL shows, they’re even actively going out of their way to quash the rumours.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything at all. Targets can change quickly in football and when you’ve got a list as long as Liverpool’s this year, there will be players who’ve come and gone as part of that.
And yet, there is still a nagging feeling that there could be something between Ugarte and Liverpool. The Portuguese press have plenty of experience when dealing with the Reds, having seen them sign Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez from the country in the past year-and-a-bit.
Over the course of both of those deals, they did seem to have their finger on the pulse of what was going on.
But for now, we’ll leave you all to make your own minds up. Until we hear something more concrete, there’s really not too much more that we can do.
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