Manchester United were eyeing PSG defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte throughout the summer transfer window, but they knew it would be difficult to sign the Uruguayan at a reasonable fee just one year after he joined the Parisians from Benfica.
So when Manchester United saw PSG sign Joao Neves from Benfica this year, they knew it was the right time to pounce on their ideal midfield signing and long-term Casemiro replacement.
Ugarte has started just one Premier League game and is finding fitness after injury woes, so it is impossible to say anything about how Manchester United feel about their decision to sign the 23-year-old for potentially 50 million pounds.
However, it seems as though Manchester United feel like they need more help in midfield, even though they signed Ugarte and still have Casemiro on the books. (Casemiro will likely leave to Saudi Arabia whenever a suitable offer arrives.)
According to a report from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, there is a possibility Manchester United will go for a center midfielder, specifically a defensive midfielder, as early as the January 2025 transfer window.
Plettenberg is directly referencing a potential deal for Bayern Munich man Leon Goretzka, but, in general, his reporting indicates that Manchester United would like an experienced defensive midfielder to form a trio with Kobbie Mainoo and Ugarte.
Mainoo’s place in the Man United future is undisputed, as the club have been working hard at extending him. Alongside Alejandro Garnacho, he is one of the big, homegrown talents at the club.
But you can’t blame Manchester United for wanting more experienced depth at the position, especially in light of how Ugarte has been having trouble getting going due to injury reasons.
In addition to Goretzka, Atalanta’s Ederson is another player on Man United’s radar, and the Red Devils have successfully gone to the talent well in Bergamo, signing Rasmus Hojlund at striker in 2023.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.