Mauricio Pochettino contacts 22-year-old midfielder after Chelsea offer is beaten by European giants: Reports 

Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly contacted Sporting Clube de Portugal midfielder Manuel Ugarte after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) bettered Chelsea's offer. Both clubs are keen to land Ugarte from the Portuguese side by paying his release clause.

PSG are said to be in the lead after they offered Ugarte double the money that the Blues have proposed.

Pochettino was recently announced as Chelsea's new coach. He is said to be keen on reinforcing the team and adding a midfielder is a top priority, with the likes of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic's futures are in doubt.

Ugarte, who has established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world, has emerged as an option. The Metro reported that Pochettino has recently contacted the Uruguayan to convince the player to join Chelsea.

Ugarte's agent, Jorge Chijane, recently said:

"It’s almost certain that he won’t stay, it’s sure he’ll leave. There is a lot of talk, but I am still not sure about the club. There are many possibilities on the table."

Sporting CP, meanwhile, have seemingly accepted that the player would leave. The team's manager Ruben Amorim recently told O Jogo:

"I cannot comment on this issue, because it is beyond me. Now, we know that it is difficult to keep players like Ugarte. Not just one club is interested, but several. Our objective is to sell, knowing that we missed the Champions League and it makes everything more difficult. I know what I want for the team and I have already conveyed that to the management."

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Can Chelsea bounce back under Mauricio Pochettino?

Chelsea had a torrid 2022-23 season. They played under four managers and found consistency under none.

The Blues started the campaign under Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked and replaced by Graham Potter. Once the Englishman was also sent packing, Bruno Saltor was made the interim manager for a game before Frank Lampard served as the caretaker manager till the end.

The club lacked proper direction and their performances on the pitch showed that. They finished the Premier League in the 12th position.

Mauricio Pochettino's arrival is expected to end the turbulence at the west London giants and return to winning ways in 2023-24.