Ruben Amorim decided to replace Casemiro with Manuel Ugarte in the starting lineup for Manchester United’s clash against Aston Villa.
Safe to say, the decision backfired, with the Uruguayan enduring a nightmare as the Red Devils lost 1-2 at Villa Park.
The head coach had had enough and replaced the Uruguay international with Lisandro Martinez, a centre-back by trade, in the second half. And the Argentine was, by far, the better performer in the No.6 position.
With Casemiro back for the Boxing Day game against Newcastle United, Amorim is likely to turn to the World Cup winner again, instead of his former Sporting CP protege.
Manuel Ugarte, disastrous signing for United
The 24-year-old has proven to be a disastrous signing for the 20-time English league champions, and INEOS are keen to get rid.
Having secured his services for €50 million in 2024, they are prepared to let him go for a little over €30 million. There is interest from France and Turkey.
Fellow INEOS-owned OGC Nice have proposed a loan deal, but the former Sporting CP midfielder has no interest in moving back to Ligue 1.
Galatasaray have held talks with United and the player’s representatives, but as Turkish journalist Erol Evcen has now revealed, the move seems to have broken down due to a difference in valuation.
The Turkish champions proposed an initial loan exchange, with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. They were willing to pay a total of €25 million for the United No.25.
Galatasaray deal breaks down
“Manchester United’s demand for Manuel Ugarte is over 30 million euros. Galatasaray wants to add Manuel Ugarte to its squad on loan.
🚨 Manchester United'ın Manuel Ugarte için talebi 30 milyon euro üstünde.
Galatasaray, Manuel Ugarte'yi kiralık olarak kadrosuna katmak istiyor. Galatasaray, Manuel Ugarte için kiralık + satın alma opsiyonlu toplam 25 milyon euro teklif edecek! https://t.co/LgHkhlng7Q
— Erol Evcen (@ErolEvcenn) December 22, 2025
“Galatasaray ready to offer a total of 25 million euros for Manuel Ugarte with loan + purchase option!,” he explained on X (formerly Twitter).
As a result, “Galatasaray have put the Manuel Ugarte transfer on hold! Galatasaray has given priority to other midfield candidates on the list.”
Moving Manuel Ugarte on would have given the chance to United to recruit a top-class midfielder in January. But that no longer looks to be on the cards.
With the club expected to lose the Antoine Semenyo race as well, it will be interesting to see how INEOS react, especially amid the injury crisis at the club.
Feature image Alex Pantling via Getty Images
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