Reports in France suggest Manchester United are applying pressure behind the scenes to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfield Manuel Ugarte.
The defensive midfielder, who has been impressing at Copa America for Uruguay, joined PSG from Sporting Lisbon a year ago.
After an initial bright start, Ugarte lost Luis Enrique’s faith after a heavy defeat to Newcastle in the Champions League.
According to Le10Sport, Manchester United are optimistic that they can sign Ugarte but we are one of three clubs chasing the player this summer. The others include Barcelona and Man City.
United are said to be applying pressure behind the scenes with Ugarte as well as PSG. A proposal worth €45m plus add-ons has been made.
The report suggests a deal is close as there isn’t much missing to conclude. Enrique still needs to give his green light to sell the player but that is not expected to be a hurdle at this stage.
Casemiro’s replacement
United need to find a replacement for Casemiro. The aging Brazilian midfielder struggled last season and missed out on a place in the national team squad for Copa America.
In turn, the former Real Madrid star has been linked with several Saudi Pro League clubs.
It now looks like Ugarte has been identified to be Casemiro’s successor in United’s midfield. One that lacked a real presence to protect the back four last term.
Is Ugarte the man to fix United’s problems in midfield? Only time will tell, but the French media think something is going on.
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