Manchester United could give Manuel Ugarte the perfect welcome present if they manage to bring him to Old Trafford this summer. The Red Devils are believed to be chasing a move for the 23-year-old with Erik ten Hag desperate to improve his midfield ranks.
United have already settled on personal terms with Ugarte, according to Fabrizio Romano, with talks ongoing at club level over a transfer fee. It is said that Ugarte is open to joining United in spite of their failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
If the move ends up going ahead, Ugarte could be given the ideal welcoming gift by United in the form of a familiar shirt number. He currently wears No 4 at PSG and No 25 for Uruguay, with both numbers likely to be available before the end of the summer window.
Sofyan Amrabat wore the No 4 for United last season but the Morocco international has returned to Fiorentina after the end of his loan spell. It is the perfect number for a new defensive midfielder which Ugarte may be keen to inherit if he joins the Red Devils.
Alternatively, the No 25 could soon be vacated with Jadon Sancho facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford. The former England winger recently buried the hatchet with Erik ten Hag following their spat last season but could still move on before the end of the window.
It remains to be seen if United will be able to finalise a deal to sign Ugarte, who is represented by Jorge Mendes. The 58-year-old is also the agent of Leny Yoro and has a long-term relationship with United after orchestrating deals for several of his past and present clients.
Ugarte has only been at PSG for one year, having moved to the French giants from Sporting Lisbon in 2023. He made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, chipping in with three assists which all came in Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that United may need to sell one of their existing midfielders to make room for Ugarte. Casemiro, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen are reportedly in the shop window but nothing is believed to be imminent as things stand.
The Red Devils have already trimmed their squad by selling Mason Greenwood, Alvaro Fernandez, Donny van de Beek and Willy Kambwala. They have spent £88.5million on new players so far this summer, with Yoro following Joshua Zirkzee to Old Trafford earlier this week.
