Man Utd now want to sign 'tireless' £51m Copa America star, 7.2 recoveries/game last season - Sky Sports
Manchester United are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte this summer, according to Sky Sports.
The Red Devils are in the transfer market for a new central midfielder and Ugarte is reportedly one of the top names on their radar.
Aside from a new midfielder, the club are prioritising a new striker and central defender. Joshua Zirkzee and Jarrad Branthwaite are the top targets.
Ugarte speculation could be agent-driven
United were credited with an interest in the Uruguayan star last summer, but they did not make a formal approach to sign him from Sporting Lisbon.
The 23-year-old eventually made the move to Paris Saint-Germain after turning down Chelsea. His debut campaign at Les Parisiens was a mixed bag.
Ugarte made 37 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions, but he found himself as an unused substitute on 14 occasions with the emergence of Warren Zaire-Emery.
He played only 23 minutes in the knockout phase of the Champions League. Hence, we are not surprised by the speculation that Ugarte could be on the move.
The midfielder was signed for £51 million by Paris Saint-Germain last summer, and they would surely want to recoup the entire fee, given his age and potential.
Ugarte, who has been described as ‘tireless‘ by PSG’s official website, would be a good signing for United.
The former Sporting midfielder had a passing accuracy of 91 percent last season with 6.4 duels and 3.9 tackles won per appearance in the French top-flight.
He also made 7.2 recoveries per outing, losing possession on only 7.4 occasions. However, he was dribbled past almost two times per game which is a concern.
In our view, the speculation could be agent-driven as United consider replacing Casemiro this summer. It remains to be seen whether the interest is concrete.
Ugarte is currently with Argentina at the Copa America and he may only decide on his future after the conclusion of the tournament in the United States.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com