Manuel Ugarte | Romano - he’s signed | Awaiting Club announcement

[Skills]

Is DM the most neglected position in United's transfer history? Has to be up there.

It hasn't been that neglected post Fergie.

Fellaini
Schneiderlin
Matic
Casemiro

Have been signed in the last 10 years for that position. The first 2 was just poor talent ID - Fellaini wasn't a DM and Schneiderlin wasn't good enough. We spent massively on Matic and Casemiro but they were just old. Had we signed younger alternatives for the same money (i.e. Fabinho in 2017) we would've been much better off.

 

[Remember the geese]

£100m+ on a DM? No chance under new management.

The new management aren't afraid to spend money if they consider it a fair valuation.

 

[Crimson King]

Well. The season starts in another 11 days. Not sure about "not dragging it". ANy new acquisition won't have a proper pre-season at this point.

How many clubs actually get all their business done before the start game of the season?

 

[Andy_Cole]

Shame but fair enough. Price isn’t worth it.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Its refreshing to see us hold firm on our valuation of the player.

 

[red_de_pologne]

we'll be looking more and more desperate as time passes.. not sure we got the strategy right

 

[Isotope]

How many clubs actually get all their business done before the start game of the season?

I don't know, man.

 

[saik]

Either of those would be useful cheap additions as a second midfield signing. But we also need a DM who'll offer plenty of energy and legs in there as well as the main signing.

Ugarte would have been ideal to offer us that much needed energy and bite in the middle of the pitch. Hopefully they've got a similar target lined up, but I haven't really heard many other options in a similar mould.

Whilst I partially agree I would be happy enough with someone who can keep the ball(press resistant) and doesn't give away the ball needlessly. We have plenty of energy and bite in other players like Martinez, Bruno, Dalot, Garnacho, Mount.

 

[Rojofiam]

£100m+ on a DM? No chance under new management.

What do you mean no chance? When the opportunity is there to attain a potentially generational talent, and we actually need the player as well, we will be pulling the trigger under Ineos. I'm certain of it. Just their 2nd ever signing in Yoro is a great example of this. If they were here 12 months earlier, Rice might well have been a United player now. Our £89m transfer record on Pogba is getting broken within 3 years with how much fees have increased.

If people think we'll become Liverpool and never pay big money, always just looking for "value" and cheap alternatives, they'll be very surprised in the next few years.

 

[VP89]

Definitely the right move. Hope we go for a good alternative like zubamendi or Wharton. Don't want to be stuck with just Amrabat.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Let's see if we move on to actively trying to sign an alternative DM, or if we wait 3 weeks to see if they lower their asking price closer to deadline day. I suspect it will be the latter.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

With a Wharton bid next summer, maybe.

If we're wanting to pay market prices, and not over the top ones, then I think we should mostly stay away from English players at PL clubs, as they generally ask OTT prices.

If we can get them at a proper price for whatever reason - release clause, club need to sell, etc - then obviously fair enough. But if we are adopting a sensible policy of not paying over the odds, then we should definitely stick to that even with the English players.

 

[The-Mezzala]

If another club were in for him PSG would just sell for £42 million. Same with Bayern and De Ligt . We doing the right thing. Lets just hope we don’t go and waste money on a panic buy now. Really wanted him but not meant to be. He looked perfect for the premier league

 

[FootyGirl88]

we'll be looking more and more desperate as time passes.. not sure we got the strategy right

So you're basically saying we should have just paid the €60mil..

 

[Its all gone Shane Long]

Shitting myself now…can see Cassimero, Eriksen, McSauce staying and running down there contracts…we had better sign someone. Really hope their is a strategy to walking away and one that will work

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Honestly I’m pleased with this. It’s not like Ugarte is some perfect fit so if we have similar players in mind we can get for less then let’s do it.

 

[JJ12]

Has Frenkie De Jong all over it

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[Dve]

Either of those would be useful cheap additions as a second midfield signing. But we also need a DM who'll offer plenty of energy and legs in there as well as the main signing.

Ugarte would have been ideal to offer us that much needed energy and bite in the middle of the pitch. Hopefully they've got a similar target lined up, but I haven't really heard many other options in a similar mould.

I'm a little worried that if we don't get Ugarte, it's going to end up being a poorer, more short term alternative like Rabiot or Amrabat as the main signing and address the position for the long term next summer instead. Which is far from ideal as it's a crucial area that needs fixing.

Amrabat, if he plays like he did end of last season. If we get rid of Casemiro and/or Eriksen, we may sign both Amrabat and Rabiot.

 

[sullydnl]

Fair.

I think Ugarte improves us immediately, and still adds value to the side in three or so years' time when we hope to be challenging for major trophies.

But "adds value" isn't the same as being a key player, and while I think his skillset covers key things we need to add in midfield, it is still a skill-set with limitations. If the club have a price in mind they're not willing to pay in excess of for a player of that profile, that's pretty reasonable.

But the key thing then is having a viable alternative you can switch to. As opposed to either not strengthening sufficiently, signing a worse value alternative or caving towards the end of the window. So we'll see what we do.

 

[red_de_pologne]

So you're basically saying we should have just paid the €60mil..

if €5-7M is a difference between being ready for the season and having Casemiro jogging around flying into late tackles .. yes. How much are 7-9 points in August worth if they make or break top4?

 

[El Presidente]

Its been clear for a while though that PSG wernt going to budge on their valuation yet we've waited until were 5 days from the start of the season to decide to pull out of this and persue other targets.

Also, who are they? We haven’t been linked to anyone. I’m very underwhelmed with how this window has been handled.

 

[Irwin99]

Can see us going for Rabiot, though they aren't quite the same in terms of profile from what I understand.

 

[Gandalf]

Makes perfect sense. PSG are splashing the cash and have no intention of using Ugarte this season. So far as I can tell there are no other bidders for his services and they have FFP to consider alongside the inevitable decline in his value if he sits on their bench for a season. The di Maria comparison was a fair one, they want rid, they need to accept his value has dropped from the price they paid.

 

[ArbeitervonWien]

So you're basically saying we should have just paid the €60mil..

No! If we just paid up we would look absolutely desperate. But if we don't pay up we will look more and more desperate the more time goes by. It's the eternal circle of desperation we are trapped in.

 

[Rojofiam]

If we're wanting to pay market prices, and not over the top ones, then I think we should mostly stay away from English players at PL clubs, as they generally ask OTT prices.

If we can get them at a proper price for whatever reason - release clause, club need to sell, etc - then obviously fair enough. But if we are adopting a sensible policy of not paying over the odds, then we should definitely stick to that even with the English players.

Won't happen, because Ineos want United to be the best in the world and every team that's on that level has to "overpay" from time to time. And they don't even mind doing that, as they know what it takes to get to the top and to stay there as well: hoarding the absolute best talents. Of course our stance that we brief to the outside world will be that we're looking for value and not willing to overpay..but we've already seen that's not true in Yoro's case.

 

[BluesJr]

I don’t mind the tactic but it’s been slow in coming, which is surprising. It really does feel like we’ve just wasted two weeks while being on tour and everything kind of got put on hold.

I was expecting much more aggressive strategy to recruitment from this new team, with 5-6 signings already in. It’s very possible to do without breaking the bank.

 

[Gavinb33]

So yet again we spend the whole summer chasing a player only for it to fall through in August and leave us having to pannick sign someone else

They arent gonna panic buy anyone

 

[Daily_Blind]

No! If we just paid up we would look absolutely desperate. But if we don't pay up we will look more and more desperate the more time goes by. It's the eternal circle of desperation we are trapped in.

True. But PSG themselves might be a bit more desperate to offload him later in the window to help offset some of the Neves cost.

 

[El Presidente]

We literally bought Casemiro and Amrabat in the last 2 seasons. Bad businesses maybe(which we are trying to change) but it's not been neglected.

Not sure about that.

 

[Overhaul FC]

Has Frenkie De Jong all over it

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If his salary wasn't outrageous it would be a possibility.

Barca have the same problem as we do with Casemiro. No1 will sign the player who is currently paid an extortionate amount.

Hopefully we have some good alternatives for CDM. The next week or so will show who were interested in. PSG will surely lower their asking price somewhat as they've now signed Neves and will want to shift Ugarte.

If they don't drop it significantly, then I do hope we go to the alternative targets if they're good enough.

 

[Skills]

If we're wanting to pay market prices, and not over the top ones, then I think we should mostly stay away from English players at PL clubs, as they generally ask OTT prices.

If we can get them at a proper price for whatever reason - release clause, club need to sell, etc - then obviously fair enough. But if we are adopting a sensible policy of not paying over the odds, then we should definitely stick to that even with the English players.

The way to do it is to incentivize them early on not to renew with the promise of a massive signing on bonus. And then go in, when you've got leverage with the contract running down.

Madrid have mastered this. Barcelona used to do this too until they went mental. Bayern also do this.

This is a sellers market across all of Europe. You need leverage when going into a negotiation.

 

[sullydnl]

I don’t mind the tactic but it’s been slow in coming, which is surprising. It really does feel like we’ve just wasted two weeks while being on tour and everything kind of got put on hold.

I was expecting much more aggressive strategy to recruitment from this new team, with 5-6 signings already in. It’s very possible to do without breaking the bank.

Is it? Which top sides have been buying at anything like that rate this summer?

I think you had unreasonable expectations in what is a slow market.

 

[saik]

Not sure about that.

What are you not sure about ? That he isn't a DM or that we bought him? Fair enough if it's the 2nd as we technically only loaned him in with a view to buy but are now having second thought on buying him. But it's not like we neglected that position. He is a DM who made his debut for us at LB due to the dire situation we were in that position.

 

[BluesJr]

Is it? Which top sides have been buying at anything like that rate this summer?

I think you had unreasonable expectations in what is a slow market.

We could have made more ‘smaller’ deals by now to fill out the squad and change it up. Our midfield is a genuine disgrace.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

Is it? Which top sides have been buying at anything like that rate this summer?

I think you had unreasonable expectations in what is a slow market.

other top sides dont really need this level of surgery for the squad. We should have made a few more signings

 

[RedRocket9908]

Also, who are they? We haven’t been linked to anyone. I’m very underwhelmed with how this window has been handled.

I would like to know who these other targets are as well, who are these players who are as good as Ugarte but cheaper than the £51m PSG are asking and why has no one else snapped them up?

 

[Licha-Vidic]

Does the article make reference to any other names?

• Manchester United are switching the focus of their search to sign a new midfielder away from Manuel Ugarte and on to other candidates.
• United have been exploring a deal for Ugarte but they do not intend to meet Paris Saint-Germain’s asking price, which is around the €60million (£51.4m) fee they paid to sign him from Sporting Lisbon in 2023
• The clubs are quite far apart in their respective valuations of the Uruguay international and, as things stand, United are looking elsewhere.
• Only if PSG reduce their request is it possible that the Old Trafford side might return to the table — but so far no progress has been made.
• The view at United is that they are only willing to pay what they deem to be the correct fee for each transfer target and negotiations will not be allowed to drag on until the end of the market.
• Consequently, discussions between the Premier League and Ligue 1 counterparts has cooled but PSG are relaxed — with vast interest over a move for the 23-year-old from alternative suitors.
• Ugarte made 37 appearances across all competitions for Luis Enrique’s side in his debut season at the Ligue 1 club, helping the team to the league trophy alongside the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions titles.
• He made just 21 league starts for PSG and while he started five of the club’s six Champions League group stage matches, he was not named in the starting line-up in any of their six knockout matches.
• Ugarte began his career at Uruguayan club Fenix before joining Famalicao of Portugal in December 2020, and Sporting in the summer of 2021.

 

[midou]

I like Ugarte, but there is no way we should be paying 60m for him, especially when PSG just bought Neves.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Honestly I’m pleased with this. It’s not like Ugarte is some perfect fit so if we have similar players in mind we can get for less then let’s do it.

What's worrying is the players we're apparently targeting all have different profiles. Rabiot, Ugarte, Fofana and Zubimendi.

Do they club know what type of midfielder we need? Doesn't look that way.

 

[ArbeitervonWien]

True. But PSG themselves might be a bit more desperate to offload him later in the window to help offset some of the Neves cost.

I don't think there is much truth in my post. I have been sarcastic.

It think we have the better cards in this deal. He is surplus to requirements for PSG and their don't seem to be lot of potential buyers. And we could get better deals that buying Ugarte for 60+ m.