Ex-France player denies rumours about target Manchester United “really needs”

Manchester United are very much searching the 2024 summer transfer market as they look to improve after Casemiro’s poor performances and injuries across the 2023/24 campaign.

After Erik ten Hag’s men secured the signings of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee in the opening weeks of the window, they are now focusing on bringing a midfield signing through the door.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Thursday evening that United have agreed personal terms with 23-year-old Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte but have yet to finalise a fee with his current club, Paris St. Germain.

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Unconfirmed reports have suggested that PSG could demand as much as £60 million for the player they signed in 2023 and that United may, therefore, instead, explore a loan with an option to buy.

Despite having only played for one season in Paris, Ugarte has been deemed surplus to requirements by PSG boss Luis Enrique, which has led some to speculate that he is not worth what United may have to pay.

However, former United and France international Louis Saha has dispelled these claims, explaining that Ugarte is a player who would be very useful for Ten Hag.

“I think he had a good first half of the season at Paris Saint-Germain, especially in Ligue 1, Saha told BetFred.

“He’s always ahead and plays comfortable football because there are so many good players at PSG, so In Ligue 1, they always play comfortably, and he can’t really be tested. It’s only in the Champions League where you get tested as a PSG player and I think that’s where they needed to see him improve.

“He had a lot of players alongside him such as Vitinha, who just exploded, and [Warren] Zaïre-Emery, so he found it difficult to impose himself in that midfield, but for Manchester United, he’s that type of player that we really need.

“He’s very strong and has confidence on the ball. He can go forward with the ball, which is something that Casemiro is less likely to do, and he can provide that quick pass when he recovers the ball, which is very important for the team in transitions.

“Manchester United didn’t do that last season, we were very slow when trying to create that transition.

“In his first season, Casemiro was providing that and I do believe that Ugarte can provide something similar. I was a big fan of João Palhinha, but he’s gone to Bayern Munich.

“These players are very crucial for teams competing for titles and Rodri is the best in the world in that position currently. He provides so much comfort, but he’s super aggressive when going forward.”

Whether or not Ugarte joins Old Trafford remains to be seen, but Thursday night’s reports claimed that he is very much focused on becoming a Red Devil and keen to make the switch to Old Trafford with “immediate effect”.

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