Villa ‘likely destination’ for top Liverpool target; Saints ‘seriously considering’ sale of Villans target

Jason Soutar
Reported Aston Villa target Manuel Ugarte celebrates a goal

Aston Villa are reportedly well-placed to sign Liverpool target Manuel Ugarte from Sporting in the summer transfer window.

Ugarte joined the Portuguese giants from Famalicao for around €10.50million (£9.12m) in August 2021.

He has gone from strength to strength in the Portuguese capital and has played 46 times across all competitions this season.

The 22-year-old has played 14 times in the Champions League and played a huge part in Sporting’s successful last-16 tie against Arsenal in this term’s Europa League.

Several top clubs are on the search for a new No. 6 and Ugarte is someone who excels in that position and would not be as expensive as someone like Moises Caicedo or Declan Rice.

In fact, the Uruguayan international has a €60m (£52m) release clause in his Sporting contract.

Liverpool have been strongly linked in recent weeks as Jurgen Klopp looks to renovate his entire midfield.

A recent report from Ben Jacobs stated that the Reds are unlikely to sign Ugarte in the summer with Sporting ‘prepared to negotiate’ the midfielder’s sale.

One Premier League club now being linked with Ugarte is Aston Villa.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Villans are preparing an ‘attack’ to land the young defensive midfielder.

READ MORE: Henderson, Dele, Spence: A loan from every Premier League club that hasn’t gone to plan…

Unai Emery’s side are now ‘serious contenders’ to sign Ugarte and have ‘started exploratory contacts’ over a transfer.

It is added that Sporting want Villa to trigger the €60m release clause, but the Midlands club are hoping to negotiate a deal worth €40m or €50m.

Despite the large amount of interest in Ugarte, the newspaper says Villa Park is the most ‘likely destination’ for the player.

Emery and incoming director of football Mateu Alemany will have a lot of money to spend this summer as the club’s hierarchy look to bring Villa ‘back to their golden age’.

The Villans signed Boubacar Kamara ahead of several big clubs last summer but the Frenchman has not reached the level expected of him.

Villa have been very ambitious in the transfer market in recent seasons and are once again expected to spend big at the end of the season as Emery looks to steer them into Europe.

Another player they are reportedly interested in signing is Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse.

According to The Athletic, Villa made a £25m bid to sign Ward-Prowse in July 2021. This offer was apparently seen as ‘derisory’ by the Saints and wasn’t even considered.

And following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League, Emery’s side are preparing another offer for the club’s long-term target.

TodoFichajes claims the Hampshire club want to keep the England midfielder but realise this will probably be unrealistic.

As a result, they will ‘seriously consider’ selling Ward-Prowse with Villa, West Ham and Tottenham all interested.

READ MORE: You’re welcome, Curtis Jones: How an F365 slam sparked the Liverpool star into a career U-turn