Manuel Ugarte changes course and, as agreed, no longer plays for Chelsea. The deal with the English club fell through and the midfielder traveled to France on Monday morning to undergo medicals and sign a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, with newspaper L’Équipe speaking of an annual salary of just over three million. euros.
This surprising change of direction for the player, according to the English portal The Athletic, is related to the fact that PSG threatened Chelsea with participation in UEFA because it had interfered in a negotiation that was to be completed, promising to acquire a minority stake. of Sporting’s SAD.
Incidentally, that online publication even reveals the contents of a letter that the Parisians were preparing to send to Alvalade so that the deal with Chelsea could be clarified, as they pointed to a possible breach of UEFA regulations, which prevent clubs from participate in European tests of share capital percentages of companies. PSG also guaranteed in that letter, which was never sent, that it would take all measures to ensure that its interests and those of the player were safeguarded, as well as that there was no breach of the rules by Chelsea.
Ugarte in Paris, with Asensio
The Uruguay international eventually traveled to Paris, accompanied by businessman Jorge Mendes and Spanish striker Marcos Asensio, who will also be a PSG player, following the end of the contract that links him to Real Madrid until June 30.
Ugarte will bring about 42 million euros to Sporting’s SAD coffers for the 70% of the economic rights he has since the summer of 2021, when the Lions acquired the athlete’s pass to oppose 10.5 million euros against the Famalicao. In this sense, Famalicenses are entitled to 10% of the transfer amount (six million euros), while Fénix, the club that trained the player, is entitled to 20% of the total amount (12 million).
Sporting thus guarantees an important financial inflow to attack the market to strengthen the team at the behest of Rúben Amorim, a coach who had already hinted at the end of the season that he would lose the player. “It is difficult to let players like Ugarte, who have several clubs behind them, know that our project has a lot to gain, but we missed the Champions League. So that makes everything more difficult. I know what I want with the team doing.” I have passed this on to the management, so we are prepared for any scenario,” he said before the last match of the I League with Vizela.
Bruno Fernandes, the most valuable
The transfer of Manuel Ugarte to Paris Saint-Germain for a total amount of 60 million euros confirms a trend of Frederico Varandas who, since taking over the Sporting presidency in September 2018, has already earned around 212.3 million euros from the sale of mid-range vehicles only.
It all started in 2020 when Bruno Fernandes went to Manchester United for 65 million euros, an amount that is still the highest amount Sporting has ever transferred to a transfer. That is, Ugarte became the second highest sale in the history of the lions.
Also in 2020, the Brazilian Wendel went to Zenit, from Russia, for 20.3 million euros, and the following year, the Croat Josip Misic, who never made a name for himself in Alvalade, went to Dinamo Zagreb for 2 million euros. In the summer of last year, Frederico Varandas made a lot of money with two midfielders who were very important for Rúben Amorim in winning the title of national champion after 19 years of fasting: Matheus Nunes went to Wolverhampton for 45 million euros, while João Palhinha went for 20 million to Fulham.
It should also be noted that four of Sporting’s five highest-ever transfers were during the presidency of Frederico Varandas, as in addition to Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte and Matheus Nunes, right back Pedro Porro, who was sold in January for 45 million euros, should also be taken into account. to Tottenham.
The only transfer in the top 5 not signed by Varandas was João Mário, who earned €44.78 million in the summer of 2016 when he moved to Inter Milan.
Source: DN
