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Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have finally reached a consensus for the transfer of Manuel Ugarte after long-drawn negotiations over the player’s apt valuation.
The United hierarchy have spent all summer chasing the Uruguay international, who is seemingly considered the ideal fit for Erik ten Hag’s setup.
The Dutchman’s counter-pressing system often leaves plenty of space for his defensive midfielder to cover — a responsibility that Casemiro’s ageing legs have struggled to carry out in the last 12 months.
As such, despite apparent availability of the likes of João Neves, Youssouf Fofana, and Sofyan Amrabat, the Red Devils set their sights on securing Ugarte’s services.
The combative midfielder has impressed with his aggressive style, ground coverage, and duel-winning ability. Ugarte won the most tackles for Sporting during the 22/23 Primeira Liga (98) campaign before achieving the same feat in the following season in Ligue 1 (121).
United reportedly convinced the player to move to Old Trafford last month itself, finding an agreement over personal terms.
However, their talks with PSG progressed slowly in recent weeks, with the French giants showing little desire to budge from their asking price of €60m despite Luis Enrique’s reluctance to make the player an integral part of his possession-based approach.
Early on Tuesday, Fabrizio Romano gave his ‘Here we go’ to confirm that the long transfer saga has finally reached its concluding phase.
Journalist Duncan Castles reported that on Monday night, United agreed to meet PSG’s demands through bonuses, with both clubs striking a deal worth €50m plus a further €10m in variables.
Ugarte is now due to travel to Manchester to undergo his medicals before finalising his much-awaited move to the Theatre of Dreams.
David Ornstein adds that the French giants were adamant to see their asking price met in a “fixed fee” but United sweetened the deal for them by including bonus-related add-ons, dependent on the player’s performances.
Some fans and pundits alike might not be best pleased with United’s failure to get the deal done for a lower fee, but it is understood the club’s hierarchy see this as an “attractive deal” as they consider Ugarte as “one of the best young” midfielders in the game.
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2024-08-27 08:09:46
