Boehly lining up summer Chelsea swoop for a “younger Kante”

Since Todd Boehly’s reign as Chelsea owner began in May 2022, they have spent a fortune to overhaul their squad and make it what we see today. In total, the Blues have spent an outrageous £1.1b on signings under Boehly in just under two years.

On two occasions, Chelsea have broken the British transfer record to add to their midfield. Firstly, they signed the 2022 World Cup’s best young player of the tournament, Enzo Fernandez, from Benfica for £107m, on deadline day in the 2023 winter transfer window.

They then smashed their own record by signing Brighton and Hove Albion and Ecuador midfielder Mosies Caicedo. The 22-year-old joined the Blues last summer for £115m, electing to move to Stamford Bridge instead of joining Premier League rivals Liverpool.

However, this expensive midfield overhaul has resulted in some fan favourites being moved on from the club last summer. Mason Mount was the notable sale. He left Chelsea to join Manchester United for a fee of £55m, although injuries have ruined his debut season at Old Trafford

Despite all the money Boehly has invested in Chelsea’s midfield, he might not be done there. The Blues are linked with one of the most exciting Europe’s midfielders ahead of the 2024 summer window.

Chelsea’s midfielder shortlist

The player in question is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The 23-year-old joined the French champions last summer for his release clause value of £51.1m from Sporting and signed a five-year deal at the club.

However, according to reports from The Boot Room, Chelsea are hoping to tempt the Uruguayan away from the Parc des Princes this summer and convince him to switch to London and Stamford Bridge, instead – with the Ligue 1 side seemingly willingly to sanction his departure.

The Blues were previously interested in Ugarte last summer too. Chelsea went head to head with PSG to try and sign the midfielder from Sporting CP, prior to his eventual from to Paris.

Indeed, a move for Ugarte in 2024 would likely only happen for Chelsea if they were to sell Conor Gallagher, as per the report. The England international has been a key player under Mauricio Pochettino this season, playing 49 times in all competitions, but a move away from the club this summer cannot be ruled out.

How Ugarte would fit in at Chelsea

To paint a picture of the type of player Ugarte is, he was described by Zach Lowy on X as being like a “younger [N’Golo] Kante”. The former Chelsea midfielder – who notably won the Premier League and the Champions League during his glittering spell in west London – is renowned for his tireless work in midfield, having been lauded as “a defensive hoover” by Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

That is something which Lowy pointed out is also a strong element of Ugarte’s game, explaining he is “relentless” in midfield, and does “the defensive work of two players”.

As far as ball-winners in midfield go, Ugarte is one of the very best around, according to FBref. The 23-year-old makes 6.09 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 1%, and wins an average of 2.34 tackles per 90, placing him in the top 2%. Not only that, Ugarte averages an incredible 8.18 ball recoveries per 90, which places him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe.

Where Ugarte struggles is in his ball progression. The Uruguay international averages just 3.91 progressive passes per 90 minutes this season, which places him as low as the 30th percentile. With that being said, he does look after the ball well, averaging a pass completion rate of 91%, ranking him in the top 5% of midfielders.

Ugarte has certainly had a prominent role in the centre of the park for PSG this season. He has featured 36 times in all competitions, with 24 of those appearances coming in Ligue 1. However, he was on the bench for both legs of PSG’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

There is no doubt that, as a pure ball-winner, Ugarte could be excellent in a midfield three along with Caicedo and Fernandez. Given Boehly’s past interest in signing the 23-year-old, and the fact he is not afraid of spending significant funds on his midfield department, this is certainly a deal that could happen this summer.

Having seen the success that Kante – who notably put in a Man of the Match display in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph in 2021 – enjoyed in a Blues shirt, the hope will be that Ugarte can follow suit in the centre of the park.