Ugarte to Man Utd: The state of play as PSG sale stance made clear

Tom Weber

Updated: 26 Jun 2024 15:21 BST
2 min read

Manchester United could return with a fresh bid for Manuel Ugarte, according to a report.

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The Red Devils are in the market for a defensive midfielder. Casemiro is expected to depart the club this summer after really showing his age last season and FootballTransfers has been able to reveal that he will likely end up at one of the big Public Investment Fund-owned Saudi clubs.

A replacement for the Brazilian will need to be brought in and Man Utd's search for a suitable player has now led them to France, specifically to PSG where Manuel Ugarte has been plying his trade last summer.

A €60 million signing, the Uruguay international did not quite have the impact expected of him in his first season in Paris after being one of the most in-demand commodities of the previous summer window.

According to French and English media, Man Utd had an opening offer for Ugarte rebuffed on Tuesday, with PSG demanding a fee close to their original outlay.

Current ETV

Manuel Ugarte

DM (CRL)

PSG

Manuel Ugarte

DM (CRL)

PSG

ETV Range

€31.4M - €52.3M

PSG still not fully decided

Fabrizio Romano has since played down talk of an official offer having been made, but Ben Jacobs states that the Red Devils did table a bid and he has also provided more potentially important information on Man Utd's pursuit.

According to Jacobs, PSG are still undecided whether or not they are willing to sanction a move. He asserts that key people at the club will not force the 23-year-old out, though a summer move can't be ruled out.

It is entirely possible that Man Utd will return with an improved offer and potentially break PSG's resolve. Selling Ugarte could enable the Parisians to pursue a move for Benfica wonderkid Joao Neves, who has also been heavily linked with Man Utd but who is quite simply too expensive.

Ugarte also has admirers in Germany, Italy and at other English clubs. This could leave Man Utd facing a race against time to lodge a new bid, though whether they really will do so or move on to different targets is not yet clear.