Manchester United are bracing for a loss on Manuel Ugarte just two years after signing him. The Uruguayan midfielder, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 for an upfront fee of £42.3 million, has not worked out the way anyone at Old Trafford hoped.
Ugarte struggled to handle the pace and physicality of the Premier League from the start. He started only ten league matches last season. That is not what United expected when they brought him in as a defensive midfield fix.
Why United are ready to sell at a loss
According to The Sun, United would need at least £25.38 million to avoid a PSR loss on Ugarte. But suitors like Galatasaray and AC米兰 are balking at the £30 million asking price. His wages — £120,000 a week — are also a sticking point for potential buyers.
United already sold Casemiro this window and planned to move Ugarte too. The club wants to bring in three midfielders this summer, but INEOS needs to balance the books with smart sales first. That is where things get tricky.
The team is reportedly willing to accept less than what they paid. They think they can justify the loss because of the pure profit they banked from selling academy kids last year. Alejandro Garnacho went for £40 million, and a few other youth departures added up. Under PSR rules, academy sales count as straight profit, so United has some margin for error here.
Ugarte has not helped his own case at the World Cup either. He has struggled to make an impact in those games, so his value is not going up. United knows that if they start shopping him too obviously, his price drops even further.
There is some chatter that United might keep Ugarte as a fourth-choice midfielder instead of taking a bath on the sale. But the player himself probably does not want that. He needs minutes and a fresh start somewhere he fits better.
For now, United is waiting to see how much they can actually get for him. That number will determine whether manager Michael Carrick gets the third midfielder he wants this summer. One thing is clear: Ugarte’s time at Old Trafford looks like it is ending with a whimper, not a bang.
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