PSG’s hidden stance on Manuel Ugarte as Man United shirt number options explained

Paris Saint-Germain’s hidden stance on the sale of Manuel Ugarte has been detailed, with the midfielder set to complete his Manchester United move this week.

Manuel Ugarte officially signed for Manchester United on a five-year contract after his move was announced on Friday evening by the Old Trafford club.

Paris Saint-Germain were tough negotiators throughout the summer for Ugarte and United, and they finally reached an agreement with the French club earlier this week for around £42 million plus £8 million in add-ons.

Many assumed that the Ligue 1 champions were keen to move the player on after he struggled to fit into Luis Enrique’s plans. However, some hidden details have been revealed.

Speaking on his transfer-focused podcast, Duncan Castles provided some new information on the Ugarte transfer situation.

“This is important to underline for Manchester United supporters – during the discussions PSG’s negotiating team told Manchester United’s recruitment team that they did not want to lose the player,” he said, as transcribed by Adam Joseph.

“They were only selling because Luis Enrique wasn’t using the player to the extent they would’ve liked and the player was pushing for a move, and they expected him to be one of Manchester United’s best players down the line.

“Whether United’s recruitment team believed that or not, or it was a negotiating tactic – I think that is actually genuine from the PSG end.”

Ugarte will not be in contention to play against Liverpool as he was not registered in time, but in the coming days, he will have to choose a shirt number to wear on his debut later in September.

He wore number 15 at Sporting and number 4 at PSG, but new signings Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt have claimed those numbers at United.

He usually wears number 5 for his national team, but Harry Maguire currently holds that number at the club and isn’t expected to leave.

There are several possible options for Ugarte, including the no.19, previously worn by players like Marcus Rashford and Raphaël Varane. It would be a fitting choice for Ugarte, reflecting his value to the squad as it is the lowest available number (other than 13, which is a goalkeeper’s number).

Another potential number is 14, which could become available if Christian Eriksen leaves the club this summer. There are reports that United are looking to sell Eriksen, and Ugarte could take over the number if a deal is reached before the transfer window closes.

Finally, Ugarte might consider no.28, which was previously worn by his friend Facundo Pellistri, who departed the club this summer to join Greek club Panathinaikos.

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