Manchester United has devised a clever strategy to secure the signing of Ugarte. The club faced financial constraints and had to be innovative to bring in a midfielder, particularly after their significant investments in Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro earlier in the window. With a strict budget and compliance with Premier League regulations, Manchester United couldn’t afford a substantial fee for Ugarte without offloading Casemiro, who hasn’t attracted much interest.
In addition, United also invested €60 million (£51 million) in Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to bolster their defense. With these acquisitions complete, their focus has shifted to securing a midfielder, and negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain for Ugarte are ongoing.
The pursuit of Ugarte stalled last month due to PSG’s asking price, but discussions are now centered around a loan arrangement with a potential future purchase. United prefers a direct purchase but is hesitant to meet the £51.5 million price tag, hence the consideration of a loan with an option to buy.
United previously had to use a similar approach to sign Amrabat last summer, agreeing to a €10 million loan fee with an option to make the deal permanent. A similar structure might be needed to finalize Ugarte’s transfer.
The need for a new central midfielder has been evident since November, despite some recent improvement from Casemiro. Although United considered Burnley’s Sander Berge, his move to Fulham likely means they’ll no longer pursue Scott McTominay, who could have facilitated Ugarte’s permanent transfer.
Retaining McTominay and finding a way to sign Ugarte is United’s preferred outcome, with the potential benefit of deferring a fixed fee for Ugarte to next summer being noted. Ugarte’s exclusion from PSG’s squad last weekend suggests that negotiations are advancing.
Ugarte’s qualities as a dynamic defensive midfielder would address last season’s midfield issues and complement Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo. His arrival would align with the South American influence growing in the United squad under Ten Hag.
Improving upon the option of re-signing Amrabat, Ugarte is seen as a valuable addition. United fans hope for a successful agreement with PSG before the August 30 deadline.
