Arsenal will look to sign a new midfielder in the summer transfer window to bolster Mikel Arteta's option for next season.
football.london understands that West Ham and England star Declan Rice has been made the priority target by sporting director Edu Gaspar. Despite David Moyes claiming the midfielder would cost a British record, Rice could come at a cheaper price with his contract expiring in 2024.
Alternatives have been identified throughout the 2022/23 season, with Chelsea's Mason Mount the latest name to be linked. Now, reports from Portugal have claimed the Gunners 'like' Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
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According to O Jogo, the north Londoners sent scouts to watch the Uruguayan in action in Sporting's Europa League tie with Juventus. It's said that Arteta 'liked' what he saw from Ugarte when he came up against the Gunners in the last 16 of the competition.
Ugarte has a current release clause at €60m (£53.5m) at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and Sporting will seek to sell the midfielder for as much as possible to raise funds for their own transfer business in the summer.
It's unlikely that a deal of that magnitude would be sanctioned for a player with zero Premier League experience. In recent years, Arsenal have been successful in investing heavily in players from their league rivals and have gradually stopped placing risks on players abroad.
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