After a terrific debut campaign, Casemiro began to show wear and tear in his sophomore campaign in the Premier League, which forced Manchester United to delve back into the summer market in 2024.
Then-manager Erik ten Hag was pushing for Sofyan Amrabat’s loan spell to be made permanent, but INEOS opted to begin their search for the Brazilian‘s successor afresh.
Multiple links emerged, as is common when United are in the market for new players, and after extensive talks, the club zeroed in on a defensive midfielder from Uruguay.
Manuel Ugarte, who had shone for Sporting CP, was struggling to impose himself for Paris Saint-Germain and the Red Devils jumped for him, paying €50 million for his transfer.
Manuel Ugarte: how his United move turned into a nightmare
Given the 24-year-old’s work rate off the ball and relentless pressing ability, it was expected he would shine in the Dutch manager’s chaos ball system.
However, Ten Hag did not trust the defensive midfielder initially, and poor results meant he was sacked and Ruben Amorim was appointed in his place.
The former Sporting CP boss had been credited as a major force behind Ugarte’s rise, and his arrival was expected to herald the Uruguay international’s resurgence in England.
However, it proved to be a false dawn as Manuel Ugarte struggled for consistency and minutes under the Portuguese tactician, who opted to play Casemiro ahead of his fellow South American.
Manuel Ugarte set to be offloaded
Michael Carrick has continued that trend, and INEOS’ patience seems to have worn thin, and they are looking to offload the former PSG ace this summer.
Despite struggling to adapt to the pace and rigours of the English game, it seems the United No.25 is not short of suitors, both within the Premier League and across Europe.
According to Uruguayan outlet Ovacion, Aston Villa and Newcastle both tried hard to sign the United ace in January, only for their attempts to be blocked by the three-time Champions League winners.
Whether the duo will return in the summer will be interesting to see. Apart from them, the likes of Juventus, Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray, and Ajax are all interested.
PL top-four rivals also interested
“Ovación has confirmed that Juventus representatives will be at Turin’s Allianz Stadium this Tuesday to watch Manuel Ugarte (Uruguay faces Algeria in a FIFA match at 3:30 PM ), as Juve will be one of the teams making a strong push for the former Fénix player, aware of his situation at Manchester United.
“While the club treated him well, he needs to leave in search of consistent playing time while still a young player. The English club is willing to sell him in the next transfer window, despite his contract running until 2029 .
“Juventus isn’t the only team interested in the Uruguayan, as Napoli has also expressed interest in signing him. Ugarte is open to the possibility of playing in Italy, as well as in La Liga.
“In previous transfer windows, Atlético Madrid pursued him, and Aston Villa and Newcastle tried to sign him on loan, although both clubs were rejected by Manchester United. Atlético Madrid has not yet made a move for the Uruguayan, with the upcoming transfer window, the most important in Europe, in mind.”
Timeline of when Manuel Ugarte will leave explained
Manuel Ugarte remains open to the possibility of playing in Italy or Spain and is eyeing a move to a top league, which basically means the likes of Gala and Ajax have little chance of signing him.
Saudi Pro League sides are also in the fray, but the midfielder has told his agent, Jorge Mendes, that he is not interested in the riches of the Middle East currently.
Also, he has made it clear that he wants to leave the Theatre of Dreams before the World Cup, so that he can focus fully on the tournament and not be distracted by transfer talk.
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 791' |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79' |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45' |
| Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 915' |
25/26 season stats via Transfermarkt
“Galatasaray of Turkey and Arab football have already received Ugarte’s rejection, as the player, who is represented by the famous businessman Jorge Mendes, seeks to continue playing in a top league, regardless of the money on the table.
“On the other hand, Manuel Ugarte intends to have his future defined before the start of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, a competition in which he seeks to focus 100% because the expectation of being able to represent his country in a competition of that magnitude is very high.”
All eyes will be on United’s midfield dealings when the summer transfer window finally opens. They will likely need at least two new players given Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro’s departures.
Feature image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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