United and Spurs now tipped to vie for experienced Barcelona ace whose agent is ‘sounding out the market’

Should Manchester United get a deal for priority midfield target Manuel Ugarte over the line, you’d expect he’d be their final signing of the summer window.

His prospective switch to Old Trafford is now in the ‘final stages’, with both the Red Devils and Paris Saint-Germain ‘close’ to hashing out a full agreement that would see Ugarte join in a loan-with-obligation to buy transfer.

However, reports in Spain suggest INEOS’ business may not end there. Sport has tipped United to vie with rivals Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of seasoned professional Andreas Christensen, who’s expected to leave Barcelona to raise funds in the closing stages of the window.

The La Liga giants are currently navigating Ilkay Gundogan’s return to Manchester City while simultaneously trying to officially register new arrival Dani Olmo. Yet, their precarious financial situation means departures might be necessary if they want to proceed with a full squad at Hansi Flick’s disposal.

As such, Christensen’s agents are said to be ‘sounding out the market’ to gauge any interest across Europe. In turn, United and Tottenham are reportedly ‘on the lookout’ to see if the Denmark international ‘opens the door’ to a potential Premier League return – he spent 10 years with Chelsea – eight as a senior player – before departing for Barcelona in 2022.

Stretty News’ verdict…

In truth, a move for the 28-year-old would make little sense for the Reds.

Erik ten Hag has seen his defence bolstered by the additions of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui this summer, and already has the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans to depend on.