Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a potential summer swoop for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Speaking on CNN Portugal, journalist Bruno Andrade claimed that the Reds want to sign the 22-year-old.
As per Liverpool Echo, the Merseysiders have been in contact with the Portuguese club over the Uruguayan, who boasts a £53m release clause.
Ugarte has made his name as a no-nonsense defensive midfielder who excels in breaking up opposition attacks.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of positional peers outside Europe’s five main leagues for tackles per 90 over the past year (4.65 per game), also featuring among the top 3% for interceptions (2.13 per match) and top 10% for blocks (1.66 per game).
None of Liverpool’s regular first-teamers can match his averages for any of those statistics (FBref), so he could undoubtedly make our midfield harder to play through.
The Uruguayan is no mere destroyer, either – he features in the 99th percentile for the aforementioned category for pass completion, with a success rate of 91.3%, so he doesn’t cheaply surrender the ball after winning it back (FBref).
Observations by Portuguese newspaper Record following a Europa League game in February also highlight the type of player Ugarte is, describing him as a ‘tireless’ footballer who ‘looks like he’s made of steel’ [via HITC].
It remains to be seen just how highly he features on Liverpool’s list of midfield priorities, given the plethora of players in that position with whom we’ve been linked, but he certainly appears to be worthy of strong consideration by FSG.