Aston Villa have reportedly made Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte their top transfer target and are in talks to secure his signature.

What’s the latest Aston Villa transfer news involving Ugarte?

Villa look set to be in for a busy summer, with Mateu Alemany set to arrive to work alongside Unai Emery in the transfer market.

The incoming director of football looks set to have a “huge” summer budget, with The Sun saying as much as £200m could be spent on new signings ahead of Emery’s first full season in charge.

It appears as if Ugarte, who is also wanted by Liverpool and Chelsea, is now a firm target for those in the Midlands following a recent update.

As per The Sun, ‘Alemany is keen to hit the ground running for Emery with the club already in talks to snap up highly-rated Ugarte’. The Uruguay international is the club’s top target and has a £52m release clause in his Sporting contract, something which looks like it will need to be activated for a transfer to go through.

Who is Ugarte and what would he bring to Villa?

Ugarte is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also turn out in a central midfield role, with the 22-year-old seemingly at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.

Hailed as a "midfield machine" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ugarte has been a key member of Sporting’s side this season, averaging more tackles and interceptions than any other player.

His average WhoScored match rating this season stands at 7.10/10, considerably better than any Aston Villa player in 2022/23, showing how he could be a possible midfield upgrade.

You’d also expect that he still has time to improve on his already impressive game, but with plenty of interest in his services, Villa and incoming director of football Alemany may have to act fast in what would be a club-record transfer in the Midlands.