Manuel Ugarte has seemingly made a transfer decision ahead of the January window following on from his struggles at Manchester United.
Manchester United’s Premier League campaign has been inconsistent so far. After 16 matches, they sit sixth in the table, having dropped a number of avoidable points along the way.
Ruben Amorim has begun to see several players rediscover their best form, with Matthijs de Ligt and Bryan Mbeumo emerging as standout performers.
However, not everyone at Old Trafford is meeting expectations. A handful of players still need to raise their level urgently, or serious questions will start to be asked.
One such player is Manuel Ugarte. The midfielder has struggled to make an impact when coming off the bench this season and has been an unused substitute in four of the last five matches.
Ugarte makes transfer decision amid United struggles
When Amorim arrived at Old Trafford, many believed that Ugarte would benefit more than anyone else as he had already worked under the head coach at Sporting.
Yet, he has been one of the players who has suffered most, with limited game-time and Casemiro taking back his place in the team. Amorim recently stated that Ugarte must improve in games and during training.
Ugarte’s poor level has led to major questions over his future at Old Trafford and recent reports claimed that Galatasaray are interested in signing him in January.
Turkish reporter Erol Evcen has now explained that Galatasaray have held a meeting with Ugarte and United over a potential mid-season deal.
It was stated that United have told the Turkish outfit the price-tag for the out-of-form midfielder and no final decision has been made from the club about whether to make a bid.
The meeting taking place suggests that Ugarte is also open to leaving United to re-start his career elsewhere after struggling in England.
United need to cut their losses
United made a huge mistake signing Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. He is the type of profile that you find from your academy rather than spending upwards of £40 million.
He can be useful in some games but is very limited. You look at someone like Toby Collyer and he could likely do a similar job to the big-money signing.
Recruitment has improved at Old Trafford in the last couple of years but United also need to start cutting their losses sooner when they realise a decision is wrong.
The sale of Ugarte, either in January or next summer, would indicate that United are improving in that aspect. In previous years, underperforming players were free to stay until the end of their contracts.
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