Journalist Franco Fernandez has claimed that Chelsea are closing in on Manuel Ugarte as their first signing of this summer.
He took to Twitter to say that the 22-year-old is close to signing a six-year contract with the Blues, with his desire being to join a Premier League side.
Many clubs have already been reported to be interested in Ugarte. Interest has come from England and abroad for the Sporting Lisbon star.
He has enjoyed a very successful season over in Portugal, and has also taken his opportunities to impress against English opposition when they have arisen.
Ugarte performed well against both Arsenal and Tottenham in Europe this season, showing he has what it takes to matchup with the best the league has to offer.
Fernandez has now claimed that Chelsea are very close to confirming the midfielder as their first signing of the summer.
Chelsea close to Ugarte
He said: “Manuel Ugarte very close to becoming a new Chelsea player. Contract for 6 years, about 65 million Euros. His desire to play in the Premier League is getting closer.”
A midfielder is reportedly very high on the agenda at Stamford Bridge as the club look to find the perfect complement for Enzo Fernandez for the coming seasons.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly set to take the job as permanent manager in the coming days, and will no doubt already have a number of targets lined up for the central midfield role.
It had been claimed that Brighton man Moises Caicedo was near the top of the list for the Blues. They had put an official bid in for his services back in January.
He may take some convincing to leave the Seagulls though, after they secured qualification for the Europa League earlier this week.