Manuel Ugarte is joining for £51million to take Manchester United’s summer spend to £200m and the Reds are delighted with all the transfer business they have done
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They’re not going to have an open-top bus parade, but Manchester United are very pleased with their summer transfer business with Manuel Ugarte becoming their fifth major signing.
Ugarte, 23, is finally, finally, joining from Paris St Germain for an initial £42.2million, with a further £8.4million in adds-ons, to allow both United and the Ligue 1 giants to say they got what they wanted. PSG should eventually get the £51million they demanded and which they paid Sporting Lisbon for him last year.
United can point to the £42.2million up front fee and they have paid what they wanted all along. United identified Ugarte early in the window and feel the Uruguay midfielder, who began his medical on Tuesday before signing a five-year deal, can be a star for them after he was named in the Best XI at this summer’s Copa America.
Ugarte will take their spending close to £200million for the summer and the Reds feel they have strengthened in all the positions they targeted. In signing Leny Yoro, 18, Joshua Zirkzee, 23, Matthjis de Ligt, 25, and Noussair Mazraoui, 26, they have also bought players with experience with their best years ahead of them.
They have reduced the average age of their squad and boss Erik ten Hag will ease Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans out of his defence over the course of this season. Ten Hag has big hopes for de Ligt and Mazraoui and sees the Dutchman as partnering Lisandro Martinez in the heart of their defence with the Tunisia defender operating at right-back.
Yoro is one for the future and United see him blossoming into becoming a regular for France and United at centre-half. Ugarte will partner Kobbie Mainoo in the midfield holding role with Zirkzee supporting striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Ten Hag can see his vision for United coming together and the club have strengthened in all the areas he wanted. Going out, United have brought in £75million from the likes of Mason Greenwood, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay leaving.
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McTominay, who also began his medical on Tuesday, is joining Napoli for £25million, ending his 22 year-association with United and he first joined the club as a five-year-old. Their last big-name departure could be Jadon Sancho and the winger could go before Friday’s transfer deadline.
Juventus are talking to United over Sancho, who has been welcomed back into the fold by ten Hag after their spectacular fall-out last season. However the Serie A side are not coming up with the numbers United want and the Old Trafford outfit will only accept loan offers if there is an obligation to buy.
United paid Borussia Dortmund £73million for Sancho and accepting a loan offer with no commitment to make the deal permanent could see him returning to Old Trafford next July with just 12 months left on his contract. Chelsea are also interested in Sancho, but would like United to sign Sterling in return, which is not going to happen.
With United having fulfilled their side of the bargain, it is over to ten Hag to deliver the Champions League football they crave.
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