Manchester United hope to recoup a significant portion of the £42m they paid Paris Saint-Germain for Manuel Ugarte during the summer of 2024
Ruben Amorim, possible reunion with Manuel Ugarte (Image: PA)
AC Milan are considering a move to rescue Manuel Ugarte from Manchester United’s nightmare.
United are desperate to sell Ugarte to the highest bidder this summer. And Italian giants Milan are considering a deal that would reunite the Uruguayan midfielder with Ruben Amorim.
United signed Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 in a deal worth £42 million. However, the midfielder failed to make an impact for the English giants.
He started just 30 league games in two seasons, but fell down the pecking order when Koby Mainu regained his place in the team in the second half of last season. And Michael Carrick told Ugarte he would not be part of the long-term plans.
United have signed Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta and are moving towards signing Matheus Fernandes from West Ham.
Ugarte knows he has no future at Old Trafford and has instructed his agent Jorge Mendes to find a new club. Mendes is currently in talks with Milan about a possible contract.
Amorim, who has been appointed as Milan’s new head coach, worked with Ugarte during his successful spell at Sporting and also during his disastrous spell in the Old Trafford dugout. A lot was expected of Ugarte, especially after the arrival of Amorim, but he could not justify the transfer fee.
Two months before he was sacked as United manager, Amorim admitted he had worked closely with Ugarte to help him rediscover his best football.
Ugarte starts in Uruguay’s World Cup opener
He said: “You see a lot of very good players come here and sometimes they struggle. He’s struggling now and it’s our job to help him and try to make him feel the way I felt when I was a Sporting player.”
“But it’s a different world. He needs to adapt and improve, especially in training.”
United want to recoup the majority of the fee they paid for Ugarte and have around £30m available. Milan chief executive Giorgio Furlani is reluctant to meet the offer, but further talks are planned in the hope of reaching a compromise.
A positive World Cup could help United’s cause, with Ugarte starting in Uruguay’s opening game against Saudi Arabia. They will play Cape Verde next Sunday and finish the group stage match against Spain on June 27th.
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