Manchester United Shifts Focus Away from Manuel Ugarte in Midfielder Search

Manchester United have decided to shift their focus away from pursuing Manuel Ugarte, the Uruguayan midfielder currently with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), as the clubs remain distant in their valuation of the player. 

United’s decision comes amid disagreements over PSG’s asking price of approximately €60 million (£51.4 million), the amount they paid to acquire Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon in 2023.

Manchester United has been actively seeking to strengthen their midfield ahead of the upcoming season. While Ugarte was a prominent target, the financial demands set by PSG have led United to reassess their options. The Red Devils are firm in their stance to pay only what they consider the right price for their transfer targets, and they are unwilling to let negotiations extend until the transfer window’s end without clear progress.

Discussions between the Premier League and Ligue 1 clubs have thus cooled, with United exploring alternative candidates. PSG, meanwhile, remain unfazed by the situation, given the significant interest in Ugarte from other potential suitors across Europe.

The 23-year-old has made notable strides in his career since his early days at Uruguayan club Fenix. After moving to Portugal in December 2020 to join Famalicão, he quickly made an impression and was signed by Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2021. His performances in Portugal earned him a move to PSG in 2023, where he made 37 appearances across all competitions in his debut season.

During his time with PSG, Ugarte contributed to the team’s success in winning the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions. He made 21 league starts and was a key player in PSG’s Champions League group stage matches, starting five out of six games. However, he did not feature in the starting lineup for any of PSG’s six knockout stage matches in the Champions League.

Manchester United’s decision to move away from Ugarte reflects their broader transfer strategy, which emphasizes financial prudence and targeting value in the market. United are intent on acquiring players who meet their strategic needs without overpaying, a philosophy that has become increasingly important as they look to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level domestically and in Europe.

For PSG, the situation remains relatively relaxed as they continue to field interest from various clubs for Ugarte. The French giants are in no rush to offload the player unless their valuation is met, and they are confident in retaining a strong midfield unit with or without Ugarte.