Liverpool are ready to trigger Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte's release clause in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Have Liverpool been linked with Ugarte?

Midfield is clearly the main area of the Reds' team that need improvements this summer, with that part of the pitch causing huge problems throughout this season. The likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have looked past their best, struggled to match their past performance levels, while Thiago, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones have been unavailable too often through injury, with Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all set to leave when their contracts expire.

A number of new signings are needed in the middle of the park, with three midfield additions mooted, and Ugarte is one player who has been linked with a move to Anfield this summer, having shone for Sporting in 2022/23, standing out as arguably one of Europe's most promising young defensive midfielders.

The £16,000-a-week Uruguayan has started 28 Primeira Liga matches this season, also making 10 appearances in Europe – six in the Champions League and a further four in the Europa League – and proving to be one of his side's most important players.

Now, a fresh update has emerged over Liverpool's pursuit of him in the summer window, as they continue to track both him and Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister, with a move for the Argentine seemingly close.

Could Reds trigger Ugarte's release clause?

According to Le Parisien [via Sport Witness], the Reds are "ready" to pay the €60m (£52.1m) required to trigger Ugarte's release clause at the end of the season, with the 22-year-old preferring the idea of a move to the Premier League instead of Paris Saint-Germain.

Ugarte could be such a great signing for Liverpool if they get a deal over the line, with the eight-time capped Uruguay international described as a "machine" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. His aforementioned bite in the tackle and ability to cover ground are both attributes that the Reds' midfield so badly needs, so he could be viewed as Fabinho's long-term replacement in the No.6 role.

He is also excellent in possession, however, rather than simply being a destroyer off the ball, enjoying a 91.8% pass completion rate in the league this season, as well as 85% and 89.3% in the Champions League and Europa League respectively. At 22, the Sporting man is also still so young, so he could develop into an even more formidable player at Anfield in the coming years, potentially even matching Fabinho's level of influence eventually.