Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte had another difficult outing during Uruguay’s 2-2 draw against Cape Verde at the World Cup on Sunday.
The 25-year-old struggled to nail down a starting role with the Red Devils last term, and he played second fiddle to Casemiro for the number six position.
Towards the end of the campaign, he was a regular unused substitute under manager Michael Carrick, and he is very likely to head for the exit door soon.
Ugarte is presently at the World Cup with his national side. His display against Cape Verde was hugely disappointing, and he was eventually substituted.
The former Paris Saint-Germain man failed to win any of his five ground duels contested. He was dribbled past thrice and guilty of losing possession 12 times.
Ugarte completed 51 passes, including a long ball in the lead-up to Uruguay’s second goal, but he offered barely any control from the heart of the midfield.
United signed Ugarte from PSG for £42 million upfront two years ago, but it has been reported that they could sell him for just £24m in the current transfer window.
A good World Cup showing would undoubtedly help to raise his valuation, but Ugarte has had a dismal tournament thus far and needs to step up against Spain.
Uruguay have just two points in Group H, the same as Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia have one.
A loss to La Roja could see them exit the World Cup, as two points may not be sufficient to qualify for the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
United, on their side, should look to cash in on Ugarte. There is a belief at the club that his valuation could drop further if they don’t offload him this summer.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com