Manchester United are reportedly closing in on the signing of Uruguayan defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ugarte would become the Red Devils' fifth summer signing should the deal get across the line, following United's acquisitions of Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Here is everything you need to know about Man Utd transfer target Manuel Ugarte.
Manuel Ugarte is 23 and was born on 11th April 2003 in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo.
The transfer fee for Ugarte's move to Manchester United from PSG is reported to be around £42m.
This deal also includes £8.46m in potential add-ons.
The Uruguayan midfielder signed for PSG from Sporting Lisbon last summer after the French giants triggered his €60m release clause.
Should Man Utd agree a deal with PSG for Ugarte, they will likely hand the 23-year-old a long-term contract at Old Trafford.
Defensive midfielder Ugarte is 6ft ins in height and physically robust in stature.
Man Utd target Ugarte is a naturally right-footed player.
23-year-old Ugarte is an archetypal holding midfielder, whose game revolves around winning back possession and screening the defence behind him.
The Uruguayan is a tenacious operator who loves a tackle and looks to keep things simple on the ball to circulate possession.
A typically tigerish South American competitor, Ugarte has the stamina to run for days and hoover up any loose balls in the centre of midfield.
Manuel Ugarte 2023/24 Stats (Ligue 1 & Champions League)
Metric | Total (per 90) | Top 5 Leagues rank |
Pass completion (%) | 91.2 | Top 5% |
Tackles | 4.11 | Top 1% |
Interceptions | 1.86 | Top 4% |
Ball recoveries | 8.14 | Top 1% |
(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers across Europe's Top 5 Leagues).
Similar players to Manuel Ugarte
(Source: FBref.com based on similar statistical profiles across Top 5 Leagues in past year)
Ugarte came up through the youths ranks at Montevideo-based club Fenix, making 57 senior appearances before being snapped up by Portuguese top flight club Famalicao in December 2020.
The Uruguayan's performances for Famalicao alerted the attention of Portuguese giants Sporting CP, making a €6.5m move to the capital in the summer of 2021.
It was at Sporting where Ugarte's reputation in European football quickly accelerated under the guidance of manager Ruben Amorim, winning the Portuguese League Cup in 2021/22 and shining in the Champions League.
Ugarte's next step was to make the move to Ligue 1 giants PSG after the Parisians opted to trigger his substantial €60m release clause at Sporting.
Representing Uruguay at U20s and U23s level, Ugarte made his senior international debut for his country as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Bolivia on 5th September 2021.
Ugarte was named in Uruguay's final squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but did not make any appearances in the tournament.
The defensive midfielder was an ever present in Uruguay's 2024 Copa America campaign under Marcelo Bielsa, with La Celeste finishing in third place in the United States.
Defensive midfield has been a perennial problem position for Man Utd in recent seasons, with the Red Devils conceding a large volume of chances from this area of the pitch last term.
The £70m signing of Casemiro in the summer of 2022 was supposed to plug this gap, but the Brazilian endured a difficult season in 2023/24 in which he struggled to maintain fitness and form.
Casemiro appears to have lost the mobility and athleticism required to thrive in this position at the highest level, with his long-term future at Man Utd appearing uncertain.
In Ugarte, United would be recruiting a young, hungry holding midfielder with boundless energy and enthusiasm.
A specialist in this position, Ugarte could sit in front of United's defence and allow the precocious Kobbie Mainoo to act as the team's primary playmaker in a number eight position.
A combination of Ugarte and Mainoo with skipper Bruno Fernandes given license to create in front of them seems a well balanced midfield set up for Erik ten Hag's charges as they seek to improve on a dismal eighth-placed Premier League finish last season.