da betsul： Journalist Jacques Talbot has revealed that Liverpool have been in talks with Manuel Ugarte for "weeks" but are reluctant to pay his release clause.
What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?
da supremo： The Reds will be hoping to end the season as strong as possible and managed to keep their top four hopes just about alive with that thrilling 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend.
Depending on whether they finish in the Champions League, the Europa League, or potentially even lower could make a notable difference in what they can spend in the summer window – due to the corresponding prize money earned from qualifying in those competitions.
With no certainty over where exactly they'll end up at this stage, the club will be working hard behind the scenes to try and identity suitable targets for varying budgets.
One player they seem to be keen on is Sporting Lisbon midfielder Ugarte. Indeed, Talbot explained as much on his YouTube channel.
However, the journalist revealed that the Reds may not been able to commit to any transfer due to the current cost of his release clause.
He began (0:19): "Loads of people are quite excited about this player. So I reached out to a source in Portugal, a guy I've known for a while now.”
Talbot went on (1:13): “He says Liverpool have been in talks for two weeks. They're very interested in them. But at the moment, they're reluctant to pay the 60 million euro release clause."
Why do Liverpool want Ugarte?
As per Record (via Sport Witness) Ugarte's deal expires in 2026 and includes a €60m (£53m) release clause. That report notes that Tottenham are keen on the player and so it sounds as though Liverpool might face stiff competition for his signature.
With that being the case, Lisbon may feel no pressure to sell for anything less than that release clause. And it's no shock that some big clubs are keeping tabs on the 22-year-old.
Indeed, according to his stats on Fbref (via Tribuna), his tackling into perspective, Ugarte has won more tackles this season than Liverpool's two best tacklers – Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold – combined. His pass completion rate is also in the top one per cent for defensive midfielders in Europe.
No wonder Liverpool are keen on him but it seems likely that they won't be able to negotiate any sort of transfer fee less than that £53m.
Who knows, though, if the club can secure some sort of European football, then perhaps that extra bit of cash will be enough to splash out on Ugarte this summer.