Manchester United received a boost in their pursuit of Manuel Ugarte, with PSG now open to loaning the midfielder with a lucrative buy option.
According to L’Equipe, Manchester United received a fresh boost in the Manuel Ugarte chase as PSG is now open to loaning the midfielder. The Parisians are on the verge of bringing Portuguese star Joao Neves, which could render the Uruguayan redundant at the club.
PSG open to loaning Manuel Ugarte
PSG are on the verge of becoming Joao Neves in a massive deal from Benfica, which will set them back by around €70 million if add-ons are counted. Either way, they will spend €60 million in fixed fees, and they were hoping to recover the same from the sale of Manuel Ugarte.
Ugarte joined PSG from Sporting CP in a €60 million deal last summer, with the Parisians hoping to get around €70 million or more from his sale. The Uruguayan midfielder started brightly for them last season but faded away in the second part of the campaign, as Luis Enrique did not see him fit his plans well enough.
That is not to say he is a bad footballer, but the team might have outgrown his talents, which could pave the way for a new career challenge. Manchester United had hoped to sign him, although they are unwilling to match PSG’s asking price.
The player also has a broad agreement on personal terms with the Red Devils, as PSG are now open to letting the midfielder leave on loan should the deal come with a lucrative buy option. This will boost Manchester United’s pursuit of the 23-year-old South American, as they might now accelerate their pursuit, especially if they need not include a mandatory clause in the deal.
Manchester United’s midfield problems
The idea of bringing Ugarte stemmed from last season’s abject performances from Casemiro, as Manchester United had hoped to offload the Brazilian for a lucrative deal to Saudi Arabia. While the Middle Eastern League’s interest has cooled in recent weeks, there are reports suggesting fresh talks might commence soon.
Should Casemiro continue to play his football at Old Trafford, that would not deter Manchester United from their pursuit of Ugarte. However, a loan deal would then make more sense for the Red Devils, as they were planning on paying for him with the sale of the Brazilian in the first place.
