Manchester United make opening move to land Uruguayan star who was a monster at Sporting CP
According to French publication L'Equipe, Manchester United have made their opening offer for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte. However, their first proposal has been rejected by Paris Saint-Germain but the Premier League giants are expected to return with a better offer for the player.
Manuel Ugarte, 23, became a household name at Sporting CP, racking up impressive performances both in Liga NOS and Europe. He became a pivotal figure for Sporting CP after joining from Famalicao in 2021, amassing 85 appearances across two impressive seasons. The defensive midfielder’s performances for the Lions caught the attention of several clubs but it was Paris Saint-Germain who won the race for his signature last summer.
After initially starting regularly for PSG in the first half of the 2023/24 season, the Uruguay international lost his place in Luis Enrique’s first XI and became a squad player. For how much promise he showed at the start of his PSG career, Ugarte only managed 25 Ligue 1 games—of which 21 were starts.
The 23-year-old’s uncertain future at Parc des Princes has piqued the interest of many clubs across Europe, including Manchester United. L'Equipe reports that Italian and German clubs have kept tabs on Ugarte, who is currently away with Uruguay for the 2024 Copa America.
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Manchester United want to sign a central midfielder this summer, with Casemiro attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and Sofyan Amrabat’s loan spell expiring at the end of the month. Christian Eriksen could also leave the club after losing his starting spot to young Kobbie Mainoo last season.
Ugarte has emerged as a potential target for Erik ten Hag’s club. As per the Daily Mail, PSG are open to selling the Uruguayan enforcer as long as they recoup the majority of the £51m fee they spent on him last summer. This means we will now pay less should INEOS follow up on their initial interest in the 23-year-old.
The cheaper fee for Ugarte would certainly benefit INEOS this summer, given our limited transfer spending budget of around £50m. Potential sales of some fringe players would boost the club’s transfer kitty and help in acquiring the targets ahead of the new season.
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It remains to be seen when will Man United place their next offer for Ugarte. At 23, the Uruguayan could be a sound long-term investment and help us in replacing the ageing Casemiro.