Manchester United have contacted Paris Saint-Germain over the signing of Manuel Ugarte, multiple sources report.
The Red Devils are piecing together their plans for the summer transfer window after opting to keep Erik ten Hag as manager, and strengthening in central midfield is a priority as Casemiro and Christian Eriksen‘s futures at Old Trafford look increasingly uncertain.
Ugarte, who is currently at Copa America with Uruguay, signed for Ligue 1 champions PSG last summer in a deal worth £50m and made 37 appearances in his debut campaign.
But the 23-year-old lost his place as a regular starter towards the end of the season, potentially opening the door to a summer move if any interested party presents PSG with an offer they can’t refuse.
The Telegraph report that United’s interest in Ugarte is genuine, with sources close to the club admitting that exploratory talks have been held. PSG’s stance is slightly different, alleging a formal bid has already been rejected as it falls significantly below their valuation of Ugarte.
Whether or not United move forward with negotiations remains to be seen, but it’s clear that further reinforcements are required despite Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence as a key player in the final few months of 2023/24.
United are also interested in signing a new centre-forward and centre-back. Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee, who has a £33.8m release clause written into his contract, is being targeted to provide Rasmus Hojlund with competition for places, while Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been strongly linked with boosting a backline that has lost Raphael Varane this summer.