Manuel Ugarte has struggled so far at Manchester United, which is ironic considering his purchase funded what would be a dream player for Ruben Amorim.
Manuel Ugarte has been a strange signing for Manchester United. The Uruguayan arrived under Erik ten Hag during a period of relative lull following his time at PSG. Still, the world was already aware of his undeniable quality from his time at Sporting Lisbon.
The 24-year-old is not only struggling at Old Trafford, but also for his country. Ugarte was poor for Uruguay as they were torn apart by the USA on Tuesday.
Sebastian Berhalter #17 of United States controls the ball whilst under pressure from Manuel Ugarte #5 of Uruguay during the International Friendly match between United States and Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium on November 18, 2025
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/USSF/Getty Images
mail iconJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
Quite the opposite could be said for a former Manchester United target, Joao Neves, who absolutely dazzled recently alongside Bruno Fernandes for Portugal.
Joao Neves joined PSG over Manchester United
It’s a shame, considering the Red Devils were actually part of the reason the young Portuguese midfielder joined Ligue 1 giants PSG.
Neves was subject to Manchester United transfer speculation for the entirety of the 2024 transfer window, with the Red Devils even bidding for him as the youngster impressed in Portugal for Benfica.
Joao Neves’ release clause proved prohibitive, with Benfica seeking more than £100 million. But PSG found a clever way around this, offering £50m part cash, add-ons and Renato Sanches to lure him to the Parc des Princes.
🚨🔴🔵 João Neves to Paris Saint-Germain, here we go! Deal being signed right now between clubs.
€60m fixed fee, €10m add-ons and Renato Sanches to Benfica on loan.
João set to travel to Paris for medical, had to be this week… and will be this week.
First signing, done. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/4c3Tcbl4hL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2024
View Tweet
More United News
The Neves deal allowed them to sanction an exit for Ugarte, who joined United for an initial fee of £42m, with performance-related add-ons taking it to £50.7m.
Manuel Ugarte funded Manchester United’s now-dream signing
It’s no secret that United are desperate for a six in their side, and there is no young prospect in world football more exciting than Neves for that role.
The £50m that the Parisians obtained from the Ugarte signing after the Neves deal inadvertently covered most of the cost – and United have been left with the same issue in that they still need to purchase a six in the market.
Neves is excelling for PSG and for his country at just 21. Ugarte, 24, is very much not. Granted, Neves only wanted Paris, but it was still foolish to let Luis Enrique secure a world-class gem and essentially pay for it to happen.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS need to hold their hands up and admit they got this one wrong. That said, we all make mistakes – it’s how we act on them that matters.
INEOS learned from Neves mistake with Senne Lammens
While the Ugarte-and-Neves saga was a mistake, it’s safe to say the Senne Lammens transfer has so far gone down a treat at Old Trafford.
Lammens has been sensational for United, with the Belgian shot-stopper a far cry (in a good way) from Andre Onana between the sticks.
What Paul Scholes said about Senne Lammens before he made his Man Utd debut
“What’s the price? 20 million Euros, that tells me he’s not a top goalkeeper.”
But it may not have happened. United were also linked to Emi Martinez, and had the Argentine moved to Old Trafford, Lammens may have been Aston Villa-bound.
Instead, United stuck to the club’s new ethos: investing in youth and building for the future. And it already looks to be paying off.