AC Milan and Chelsea Interest Spark Expert Caution to PSG Against Sale of Physical Midfielder

Although Manuel Ugarte’s first season at Paris Saint-Germain was a rollercoaster ride, the 23-year-old midfielder still has plenty of suitors at top European clubs. CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Johnson cautions the Parisians to think long and hard before selling the player.

Following a terrific start to his first season, the Uruguayan’s performance tailed off, and he mostly came off the bench. Over the last few days, reports linking the player to Chelsea, AC Milan, and Juventus have surfaced. 

Nonetheless, Johnson, who spoke to PSG Talk exclusively, provided a warning to the Ligue 1 side about moving off from Ugarte after one season. He notes that the capital club was patient with Vitinha after a challenging first season, and it paid off.

“I would say cast our minds back to Vitinha and the excellent start to life he had and then the disappointing second half of the season he had,” Johnson said. “And look at where Vitinha is now after a full and consistent season under Luis Enrique. 

“Perhaps it was just a question of bedding in, and maybe next season, PSG will see a better and stronger Ugate, more consistent, more sure of himself, and someone who can contribute more, because I certainly think that that profile could still be useful in this PSG setup…

“I think PSG need to think really, really hard about this one because it could potentially be a mistake, especially if he rebounds somewhere and looks like the player PSG thought they were signing and the player that he looked like he was going to be for PSG at the very beginning of his time.”

A recent report from L’Equipe highlights that the club isn’t shying away from the possibility of the midfielder leaving this summer. 

It appears Ugarte simply doesn’t align with the type of player Enrique is looking for in the No. 6 position. While his departure is being considered, it’s not without conditions or without weighing the right price.