Man United replacing undervalued McTominay with PSG star
Manchester United has reportedly agreed a massive fee to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. The two teams have been in talks regarding the midfielder for weeks. PSG had previously been holding out to sell the player for a guaranteed fee of around $66 million. Nevertheless, United’s persistence has seemingly paid off.
The Red Devils are paying the Parisians an up-front fee of $55 million for the Uruguayan star. An extra $11 million, however, will also be included in the deal in potential add-ons. PSG has included a 10% sell-on clause as well because they caved on their original asking price. As a result of the agreement, Ugarte is expected to soon travel to Manchester to undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract.
The midfielder only just signed on with PSG last summer in a $66 million deal with Sporting CP. Despite the huge cost, Ugarte endured an up-and-down freshman season in France. He did show flashes of his potential but was also relegated to the bench for a significant portion of the 2023/24 season. The Red Devils will hope that they can get the budding star to reach his full potential in England.
Scottish midfielder has been one of United’s most important players
United’s move for Ugarte comes simultaneously as they are about to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli. The fellow midfielder is set to join the Italian outfit for a fee of around $33 million. Because he is a youth product of the club, the Red Devils see the sale as pure profit.
McTominay has been somewhat of a polarizing figure with United since breaking into the first team in 2017. Some have ridiculed his overall play in the middle of the pitch for manager Erik ten Hag. Others, however, realized the value of the midfielder’s crucial goal contributions in recent years.
Despite not necessarily being deployed in an attacking position, McTominay has managed to score some massively significant goals for his boyhood club. His seven Premier League scores last season alone directly earned United 12 points. The Red Devils were sitting sixth in the standings after McTominay’s final important goal of the campaign in mid-February. Without these key strikes, the club would have been in the bottom half of the table.
Ten Hag hopes to find offense at United without McTominay
As McTominay’s momentum slowed down in the last few months of the campaign, so did United. The club eventually finished eighth in the final standings of the 2023/24 season. It was its lowest-ever placement in the modern era of the English top flight.
Ugarte could certainly prove to be an outstanding signing for Ten Hag and company. Nevertheless, the club may miss the key goals that came along with McTominay. The Red Devils have experienced difficulty scoring under their current manager. Their 57 goals last season were the lowest of any team in the Premier League’s top half.
United has brought in Joshua Zirkzee to help add more offense. The Dutchman even scored in his official debut with the team. However, the club currently ranks middle of the pack in shots and key passes through the two opening matches of the season. Other players in the squad will likely now have to step up to help fill the void left by McTominay.
PHOTOS: IMAGO