Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has conceded that Chelsea and Tottenham-linked Manuel Ugarte "may leave" the Portuguese outfit this summer.
Despite beating Spurs during the UEFA Champions League group stages, Sporting have endured an underwhelming Primeira Liga campaign and look likely to miss out on qualification for next season's Champions League.
Nevertheless, Ugarte has won plaudits for his contribution this season, averaging a WhoScored.com rating of 7.10 across all competitions. The 22-year-old even featured twice during Uruguay's unsuccessful FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Such performances have seen Ugarte linked with a host of English clubs, with the aforementioned duo reportedly joined by Arsenal and Liverpool in possessing an interest in the midfielder.
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Ugarte's agent, Jorge Chijane, previously fuelled discussions surrounding a move, claiming something will be sorted in the next 15 days.
He said, as quoted by the Mirror: "Liverpool? There is a lot of talk, but they are not the only club, there are others. There is a lot of talk, but I am still not sure about the club [he will sign with]. There are many possibilities on the table.
"I believe that in 15 days the situation will be resolved. It's almost certain that he won't stay [at Sporting], it's sure he'll leave. Soon I'll be [with him] in Lisbon."
And rumours will now intensify further with Amorim, who has been linked to the Tottenham vacancy himself, admitting defeat in his bid to keep Ugarte.
"He's a very important player but he may leave," Amorim claimed. "And maybe he already has €60m guaranteed... I don't know. The coach's continuity has nothing to do with that."
Chelsea bolstered their midfield with the mega-money signing of Enzo Fernandez in January, whilst Spurs completed the permanent midfield additions of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma last summer but have been left to rely on the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp during a poor season.
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