Manchester United have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain over the signing of Manuel Ugarte, multiple sources report.
The Red Devils are putting together their plans for the summer transfer window after opting to keep Erik ten Hag as manager, and strengthening the midfield is a priority as the futures of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford look uncertain.
Ugarte, currently in the Copa America with Uruguay, signed for Ligue 1 champions PSG last summer in a deal worth £50m and made 37 appearances in his first campaign.
But the 23-year-old lost his place as a regular starter towards the end of the season, potentially opening the door to a summer move if an interested club presents PSG with an offer he can't refuse.
I The Telegraph reports that United's interest in Ugarte is genuine, with sources close to the club admitting that exploratory talks have been held. PSG's situation is a little different, alleging that the official request has been rejected as it is far below their price for Ugarte.
Whether or not United move forward with talks remains to be seen, but it is clear that more reinforcements are needed despite Kobbie Mainoo emerging as a key player in the final few months of 2023/24.
United are also interested in signing a central midfielder and defender. Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, who has a £33.8m release clause written into his contract, is set to give Rasmus Hojlund competition for places, while Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite has been heavily linked with a backline that has lost Raphael Varane this summer. .
ANALYSIS
United's interest in Ugarte is further evidence that Casemiro's time as a Manchester United player is coming to an end. The Brazilian looked a shadow of his former self in the final few months of last season and it is clear that a move away is the best thing for both teams.
Erik ten Hag has been backed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to fix United's problems and no major overhaul is needed than patching things up in the middle of the park. They need a hard-fighting, mobile ball-winner who can put out fires, recover possession time after time, and anticipate the play inside and outside possession.
United also need strength in the side of Kobbie Mainoo, who combines the youth's ability while allowing him to develop his game. The likes of Eriksen and Scott McTominay don't give Ten Hag what they need. Ugarte, despite being 23 years old, has enough experience to fill the gap, with two successful seasons at Sporting CP backed up by a good year at PSG.
The initial feeling is that there is a deal for Ugarte to be done – to replace someone like Joao Neves, who is more expensive at this point in time – but United will need to be wary of interest from Italy. At the very least, it's a far, far smarter signing than moving for someone like Adrien Rabiot – a player no United fan should want to see on the move this summer.
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