da betcris： The 22-year-old has completed his move to Parc des Princes after the French champions beat off competition from Chelsea for his signature

da cassino： Late on in Fenix's win over Danubio in 2016, the hosts brought on a 15-year-old. He played nine minutes of the top-flight encounter, jogging around as his side cruised to a 4-1 victory. Seven years later, and that same player, Manuel Ugarte, is worth €60 million (£52m/$64m).

Ugarte's career has developed from that of a skinny teenager handed a few irrelevant minutes to a top European talent, now seen by Paris Saint-Germain as the answer to their defensive-midfield woes. He only started regularly for one campaign at Sporting CP, but under the guidance of highly-rated manager Ruben Amorim, has become a statistics sweetheart and physical presence, compared to the likes of Fabinho, Casemiro and Thomas Partey.

And those comparisons, although lofty in some cases, make a lot of sense. This is a 22-year-old who has developed at a rapid rate, and cleared every hurdle that European football has presented so far.

But who is Manuel Ugarte, and what convinced PSG to fork out such a huge sum for the Uruguay international? GOAL takes a look at his immense potential…

Where it all began

Ugarte was born in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, and joined local team City Park at a young age. But he soon moved on, starting up his career with CA Fenix, a renowned Montevideo team with an excellent pedigree but admittedly little success. The club's history stretches back 100 years, but has only captured a string of second-division titles during its lifetime, and was a middling Primera team when Ugarte was in the youth ranks.

Still, he was quickly identified as a top talent and moved through Fenix's academy sides quickly. So much so, in fact, that he was handed his debut at 15 years and 233 days old, becoming the youngest Uruguayan league debutant in the 21st century.

Back then, though, he wasn't the defensive midfielder that he is today. Initially, Ugarte was a striker, and made a handful of first-team appearances up front before being pushed back into a deeper role.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

Ugarte continued to impress after being promoted to the first team, and steadily found minutes as a 16 and then 17-year-old, while also becoming a regular in Uruguay's age-group sides. But the moment that attracted attention on a bigger stage came from a managerial decision.

Former national team coach Juan Ramon Carrasco — then Fenix's manager — handed Ugarte the captain's armband at just 18. Ugarte rewarded his manager's faith with further improvement, scoring in Fenix's 2020 Copa Sudamericana run — a memorable feat for Fenix in the competition one tier below the Copa Libertadores.

But he would soon draw eyes from Europe. Although a few clubs were in for the midfielder, Famalicao were the first to jump, signing the teenager for a bargain €3m(£2.6/$3.2m) in December 2020. And Ugarte wouldn't have to wait long to get his first taste of top-flight football, working his way into the Famalicao XI within a month, and becoming a mainstay for a side that narrowly missed out on European qualification.

Ugarte never got the chance to push for Europe again with Famalicao, though. In August 2021, Sporting signed the Uruguayan, using him as a backup to Joao Palhinha, now at Fulham. And when Palhinha left a year later, Ugarte stepped into the line up for good.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Ugarte has developed into a defensive midfielder who could quite comfortably slip into any side at a top European level. These days, he's a crucial part of Amorim's 3-4-3 system, playing alongside, or slightly behind a more creative midfielder.

He's one of the first names on the teamsheet, and has turned in a litany of memorable performances on the European stage. Chief among them was a standout showing against then-Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Ugarte commanded the spaces usually occupied by the Gunners' more creative midfielders, limiting Arsenal's fluid attacking players and starring in a memorable penalty shootout win at the Emirates. And although Ugarte was given his marching orders for clattering Bukayo Saka, his impact on the game was clear.

GettyBiggest strengths

Ugarte is perhaps best described as a ball-winning midfielder. He is a stats sweetheart in that sense, ranking among the best midfielders in the world in interceptions, tackles won and ball recoveries, per . And once he gets it, Ugarte is remarkably efficient, if slightly limited. In Sporting CP's system, the Uruguayan's remit is quite simple: win the ball, and move it quickly.

As a result, Ugarte is a high-volume and high-efficiency passer, circulating the ball from the base of midfield with ease. He can also hit the ball long if needs be, a promising sign for PSG should they sign him, given they have the pace of Kylian Mbappe to utilise.

But there's more to his game than that. Ugarte is a capable dribbler who likes to take a man on. And at six foot tall with long legs, he's extremely difficult to knock off the ball. His height and reading of the game also make him good in the air. He's aggressive enough to be up for those duels, too.