BBC Sport’s Simon Stone has reported that it would be a ‘major shock’ if Manuel Ugarte remained a Manchester United player by the end of the transfer window.
Stone also revealed there is an overwhelming ‘lack of faith’ in the 25-year-old following two seasons at the club in M16.
Manchester United paid an initial £42 million to sign Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain back in August 2024, making his potential departure a costly exercise for the club.
His arrival at Old Trafford came shortly before Scott McTominay left the club, with many United supporters feeling the Scotsman should have been kept instead.
INEOS have since accepted that Ugarte does not have what it takes to hold down a regular starting position in the Premier League.
The club is now actively searching for suitors willing to take the midfielder off their hands this summer.
Any potential transfer move could be delayed, as Ugarte has been included in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad for the World Cup campaign currently underway.
By the end of the 2025/2026 season, even manager Michael Carrick had concluded that Ugarte was not a suitable fit for the team going forward.
Ugarte made just seven appearances under Carrick in all competitions, starting only once and completing a total of 155 minutes of football across the campaign.
That solitary start came in the home fixture against Leeds United in April, when Kobbie Mainoo’s injury forced Carrick’s hand in selecting the Uruguayan.
United went on to suffer a shock 2-1 defeat to their arch-rivals that afternoon, with Ugarte delivering a calamitous performance in the middle of the park.
The Montevideo native did not feature again for a single minute for the remainder of the season following that dismal display against Leeds.
Despite his disappointing spell in Manchester, Ugarte’s age and experience are expected to attract interest from a number of European clubs this summer.
Galatasaray have reportedly set their sights on securing a deal for the midfielder, while Ajax also made enquiries about his availability as far back as January.
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