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Aston Villa are reportedly prepared to match Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s move for Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are willing to go toe to toe with the Parisians and make an identical investment. Ugarte, 22, looks set to leave the Jose Alvalade this summer.
That comes after French outlets claimed that PSG were willing to trigger the €60 million release clause in his contract. The Parisians are believed to have agreed on personal terms with the Uruguayan midfielder.
However, it's reported by the aforementioned source that Ugarte has been earmarked as the Villans' top transfer target. His name came up in discussions that took place between manager Unai Emery and Mateu Alemany. The latter eventually decided to stay at Barcelona rather than become the Premier League club's director of football.
Ugarte has been in fine form this season and is the anchor in Ruben Amorim's side's midfield. He has featured 47 times across competitions and provided one assist. The Uruguayan is a brilliant ball-winner and is renowned for his tackling and intercepting.
The midfielder's contract with Sporting expires in 2026, but he's heading towards the exit door. PSG appear to be the frontrunners but will have to shake off Villa and Tottenham, with both clubs ready to battle for his signature.
Zinedine Zidane remains PSG's first choice to replace Christophe Galtier
Zinedine Zidane has long been admired by PSG's Qatari owners, and that remains the case, per Get French Football News. The iconic Frenchman has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
There have been several names linked with replacing current manager Christophe Galtier. The Frenchman is set to leave the Parc des Princes just one season after arriving. However, his sacking is dependent on the Parisians finding the right replacement.
The PSG hierarchy were enticed by sporting director Luis Campos' willingness to reunite with Galtier. However, it has been a frustrating season under the Frenchman, with the Parisians crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in the last 16. There's a belief that the club could have pushed harder for Zidane last summer.
However, Zidane is not giving the Parisians positive responses and has always seemingly eyed the France national team job. If the higher-ups at the Parc des Princes give up on the former Madrid boss, they could turn to Jose Mourinho.
