According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte ahead of a potential transfer.
Man United have already made two signings in Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro this summer and they are now working on a deal to land Ugarte from PSG.
As per Romano, Manchester United have ‘agreed personal terms’ with the South American midfielder and talks are currently ongoing between the clubs to negotiate on the fee.
A separate update from L’Equipe (via SportWitness) claim that PSG don’t want to sell Ugarte for a loss, having purchased him from Sporting for £50 million.
Therefore, the report says the French champions are asking for around £59m for Ugarte. United are not prepared to invest such an amount and could propose a loan deal with an option to buy.
Quality
United had an average 2023/24 season in the Premier League where they finished 8th in the table. They managed to salvage their season with FA Cup glory. Despite this, the hierarchy will be aware that the squad needs improvement in order to compete at the top once more.
They have already bolstered the centre-forward and central defensive departments and the next priority could be the holding midfield position. Casemiro, Scott McTominay and Sofyan Amrabat (on loan) were the options last season, but none of them were consistent enough.
Ugarte would be an upgrade on them. He is strong with the ball at his feet and has an exceptional work rate when out of possession. Like Casemiro, he does not shy away from lunging into tackles and has a better success rate. At 23, he has the room to adapt and develop at United.
United seem unlikely to pay £59m for the Uruguayan after the huge spend on Zirkzee and Yoro. A loan deal appears ideal as they can assess whether Ugarte can be successful in the Premier League. PSG, on the other hand, may want an obligatory buy clause as they are about to sign his replacement in Joao Neves from Benfica.
