Chelsea target Manuel Ugarte is reportedly being offered significantly more money by Paris Saint-Germain as the Sporting Lisbon midfielder decides on his next move.
Although Uruguay international Ugarte, 22, favours a move to Stamford Bridge because he wants to test himself in the Premier League, there are greater financial rewards on offer in Paris.
Portuguese newspaper Record say that Ugarte learned on Tuesday that PSG are offering him €3million [£2.6m] more in salary than Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino is set to come in as Chelsea’s new manager and talks are underway with Ugarte, who has a £53m release clause in his contract.
The defensive midfielder is expected to move on this summer after impressing for Sporting and becoming a regular for his country over the past year.
Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte has been strongly linked with a summer move to Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain – with the French club reportedly offering him more money
The Uruguay international could become Mauricio Pochettino’s first signing as Chelsea boss
Record reported earlier this week that Ugarte does prefer a move to Chelsea over PSG, with the Blues paying his release clause plus an additional £4m in bonuses.
They also suggested that David Datro Fofana could be loaned out to Sporting in return.
Ugarte has also been strongly linked to French champions PSG, who tabled a five-year contract and their sizeable salary could yet sway the player’s decision.
Chelsea’s average player salary has been dramatically reduced since Todd Boehly took ownership of the club last year.
The American businessman, who is co-owner of the club with Behdad Eghbali, and Clearlake Capital completed a £4.25billion buy-out of Chelsea after Russian owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.
Despite splashing out over £600m on new signings in two transfer windows, Boehly has reduced the Blues’ wage bill.
The Times reported last week that Boehly was shocked at the sky-high salaries handed out under the previous regime, with Chelsea often gazumping rival clubs by offering transfer targets more money.
One example was outcast striker Romelu Lukaku, signed for £97.5m in the summer of 2021 and becoming the highest-paid player in the club’s history on £315,000-a-week.
Ugarte (right) has made 47 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in all competitions this season
Chelsea could be prepared to fork out the £53m release clause plus bonuses for Ugarte
However, the Belgian’s return to the club he first played for between 2011 and 2014 has proved a disaster and he has spent the 2022-23 season out on loan at Inter Milan.
The 30-year-old still has three years to run on his lavish Chelsea contract.
Boehly was keen to drive down the wage bill, with several of this season’s additions such as Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke committing to longer contract on significantly lower wages.
The trio – who arrived for an outlay in excess of £200m – all penned Chelsea deals until at least 2030.
As a result of such deals, The Times reported that Chelsea’s average wage bill has now been reduced to between £70,000 and £75,000-per-week.
On the flip side, talks with homegrown player Mason Mount over a new contract have stalled amid interest in the £55m midfielder from Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Romelu Lukaku became the club’s highest-ever paid player on £315,000 a week when signing for £97.5m in 2021 and this was something the new ownership wanted to alter
Mykhailo Mudryk (left), Enzo Fernandez (right) and Noni Madueke all signed deals until at least 2030, with the club’s average salary reducing to under £75,000 per week
But the lower value deals has put them at significant risk of losing Mason Mount this summer
There is believed to be some difference between the salary Mount wants to re-commit to Chelsea and what he is being offered.
Price tags have been placed on over 10 players to reduce the size of a bloated squad and make the situation more manageable for the Argentine manager.
