Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte appears to be leaving for Old Trafford to join Manchester United. Although it’s not official, the speculation now is how the Red Devils will use the Uruguayan.
Ugarte didn’t fit manager Luis Enrique’s vision for his midfield, so he’s departing after one season. Last season, he made 37 appearances across all competitions for the reigning Ligue 1 champions, recording three assists.
The 23-year-old began the first half of the campaign playing well and it appeared that the club had found that hound in the midfield. Still, Ugarte’s minutes fell off in the second half as he was used more as a rotational player rather than a starter.
Ahead of the looming move, talkSPORT’s Alex Cook stated how he sees the player fitting into the starting line-up and in what structure. According to Crook, he sees Ugarte playing alongside Kobbie Mainoo in front of their new-look backline for this 2024-25 season.
“[Manchester United] don’t have that holding midfielder who can go and dictate a game,” Cook said Tuesday on talkSPORT. “Obviously, Casimiro has been asked to do that role, but I think his best days are behind him. I love Kobbie Mainoo, but defensively, I think he can still improve. I think Ugarte and Mainoo are in front of what is going to be a new look back four. It’s quite exciting for Manchester United fans.
“They managed to negotiate a knock-down price as well, £42 million up front, £8.5 million more in add-ons. I think originally PSG were asking for £50 million upfront. They’ve been better negotiators this summer. This is a player who was selected in the team of the tournament of the Copa America. I think this is a really positive deal for Manchester United.”
