Poch's first signing! New Chelsea boss APPROVES €60m hijack on former club

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 29 May 2023 09:06 BST
• 4 min read

Mauricio Pochettino has given Chelsea the green light to make their first summer signing, with the Blues set to splash out €60 million on the transfer.

Pochettino is expected to be named as Chelsea manager imminently and will be tasked with turning the club’s fortunes around after an embarrassing 12th-place finish in the Premier League.

The Blues are expected to invest significantly in the transfer market once again, even if Financial Fair Play (FFP) will prevent them from having the type of splurge they enjoyed in the previous two windows, with the Argentine set to have a major say in which players arrive and go.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, Pochettino has approved a move for Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed Chelsea's interest in the player on 3 May - and they remain insistent on signing the player.

The Uruguay international has already been associated with PSG this summer, with the Ligue 1 champions having reportedly matched the player’s release clause of €60 million in order to trigger contract talks. Reports from Portugal even claimed the deal was done.

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Chelsea have the opportunity to respond and have reportedly taken that, with Pochettino okaying the deal.

Romano stresses that the player has yet to make a decision over his future.

Why Chelsea want to sign Ugarte

Ugarte would solve Chelsea’s issue in midfield. The Blues are chasing a defensively minded central midfielder, and the 22-year-old would fit the bill perfectly.

The Sporting star’s qualities are largely in terms of his ball winning, with a string of leading clubs chasing him because of these abilities.

Liverpool and Aston Villa have also been interested in the player, although it appears that Chelsea and PSG are out in front to sign Ugarte.

He has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €20m but has seen his value sharply rise since the beginning of the season and it is anticipated that he will continue to progress at a bigger club.