Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte faces a huge battle to save his Old Trafford career after Fabrizio Romano confirmed the club are very much open to his sale – while TEAMtalk can analyse exactly how much they can expect to lose on their £50m investment.
The Red Devils brought in the Uruguayan midfielder in a big-money deal from PSG in summer 2024, with the initial fee set at £42m, with a further £8m in add-ons taking the deal through the £50m (€60m, $70m) barrier. Seen as an elite ball-winning midfielder, he was expected to provide the struggling Manchester United defence with a bit more cover from his position at the base of midfield.
At the time of his signing, then sporting director Dan Ashworth hailed the player as “among the very best ball-winning midfielders in the world” and had also patted himself on the back for bringing in “one of their primary objectives”.
However, while the 24-year-old did not get to play much under the man who signed him, Erik ten Hag, his successor as United manager Ruben Amorim also failed to get a consistent tune out of Ugarte, who found himself in and out of the Red Devils’ side.
That was a note of particular frustration, given the 33-times capped Uruguay star had excelled under the Portuguese coach while the two were together at Sporting CP.
And having now slipped to fourth in the United midfield pecking order, Romano has now revealed just how close they came to offloading the player this summer and why a 2026 departure from Old Trafford cannot be ruled out.
Confirming Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’s willingness to facilitate his exit after just 12 months, Romano told his YouTube channel: “I can reveal to you that, for Manuel Ugarte, there was a possibility of an exit this summer.
“For example, Italian clubs were interested in Ugarte, but Manchester United decided to close the doors to an eventual loan move, so this is why nothing happened.
“For Manuel Ugarte, we’ll have to see if some club will arrive with a permanent deal proposal in 2026, because this might change the situation.”
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How much can Man Utd realistically expect to get for Manuel Ugarte?
United have had a nasty habit down the years of making a loss on several of their big-money signings, with the likes of Antony, Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho and Romelu Lukaku, to name but four, all signing for enormous sums before leaving on the cheap.
As a result, it would surely not come as a shock to many were they to suffer another financial hit on a big-money signing, this time with Ugarte.
The midfielder started 22 times in the Premier League for United last season, while featuring in another seven off the bench. This season, he has one start and two appearances off the bench to his name.
However, it’s fair to say United never saw him at his best and that star billing as ‘one of the best ball-winning midfielders in the world’ was never really evident nor came to the fore.
The player is contracted to United until 2029, with the option of an additional year – and at this point, you would have to say it’s unlikely that he’ll remain at the club for the long term.
Per Transfermarkt, Ugarte’s value currently sits at €45m (£39m, $53m), though it is debatable if he would fetch anywhere near close to that.
However, our sources understand they would consider his sale were an offer to come in for around the £30m to £35m mark, such has been his disappointing form since his arrival.
Man Utd latest: Ruben Amorim safe – for now; Donnarumma miss explained
Meanwhile, Amorim is safe in his position as manager of United for now, though one of the reasons why the axe won’t fall beggars belief.
However, should the axe fall on the Portuguese, a major United transfer lined up for 2026 will potentially have the plug pulled on it.
Elsewhere, why United steered themselves away from signing Gianluigi Donnarumma has been definitively revealed by Fabrizio Romano, and Sunday’s clash with Man City showcased why United have got it wrong once again.
A £50m let-down: How Ugarte’s form has tumbled at Man Utd
Manuel Ugarte 2023/24 PSG v 2024/25 Man Utd: Games 25 v 29 Tackles 98 v 77 Interceptions 40 v 27 Touches 1689 v 1252 Passes completed 1212 v 795 Ball recoveries 181 v 122 Clearances 24 v 15 Yellow cards 5 v 11
Not the player they thought they were getting? Ugarte’s 2023-24 Ligue 1 stats compared to his debut Premier League season