Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte is reportedly set to travel to England on Tuesday ahead of his medical at Manchester United as he nears the completion of a long-awaited move amid a busy summer for the club.
United are expected to pay a transfer fee of €60 million to Paris Saint-Germain for Ugarte’s services. according to The Athletic. It’s a deal that reportedly includes an additional €10 million in add-ons and a 10 percent sell-on clause for the French club. The midfielder has been linked with United since the start of the summer, but the two clubs have reportedly been at odds over the financial structure of the deal for some time. The situation forced United to explore other options, such as re-signing Sander Berge from Fulham and re-signing Sofyan Amrabat after he spent last season on loan at United.
However, Erik ten Hag’s team will land their favorite target after a fairly impressive year. He was a key player for PSG during the first half of the season before his role diminished. He bounced back by playing all six matches for Uruguay at the Copa America, making the team of the tournament as his national team finished in third place.
Ugarte would become United’s latest major signing this summer, joining a list that includes defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro and forward Joshua Zirkzee. The Uruguayan is perhaps one of their most important newcomers this season, given the need he fills as a defensive midfielder.
United struggled in the middle of the park for much of last season, looking unbalanced and producing one disjointed team performance after another during a chaotic campaign. The battle was incredibly clear from a defensive point of view as Ten Hag decided that a strategy of the team absorbing opposition pressure was the best way forward, but emerged with mixed results. United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest ever Premier League position, conceding 58 goals and finishing the season with a -1 goals difference. Last season they conceded 680 shots, the second most of any Premier League team and behind only relegated Sheffield United.
It is still early this season, but the situation may not have improved yet. Although they limited Fulham to just two shots on target and 0.44 expected goals, they still conceded 10 shots in a 1-0 win on the opening day and then conceded 14 shots and 2.09 expected goals in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
Targeting and signing Ugarte is a smart move by United, who will most likely benefit from his inclusion once he is ready to play. Whether or not he acts like a one-person solution to a major problem, however, is worth following as Ten Hag and company focus on improvement for the 2024-2025 campaign.
