Premier League giants Liverpool have made first contact over the potential addition of a key member of the midfield setup at Sporting CP, according to reports.
The subject of engine room reinforcements, of course, has taken its place front and centre in the media chatter surrounding Liverpool for some time now.
This comes as the powers that be at Anfield go about completely rejuvenating what has long represented an area of concern in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
To this point, the player most persistently tipped to do precisely that has come in the form of Jude Bellingham.
Earlier this month, however, widespread reports pointed towards Liverpool pulling the plug on their pursuit of the England international, owing to Borussia Dortmund’s exorbitant demands.
The Merseysiders, in turn, have been forced to turn their attentions elsewhere.
The info comes by way of CNN Portugal, who suggest that Liverpool have set their sights firmly on Manuel Ugarte.
In fact, the report goes as far as to suggest that the Reds have made contact with their counterparts at Sporting CP, to gain an understanding of the financial commitment likely to be required to strike a deal for the Uruguayan international.
This comes with Jurgen Klopp having been extremely impressed by Ugarte’s performances at the base of Sporting’s midfield across the season to date.