Man Utd push ‘not ideal’ exit stance to star Amorim has no time for as source reveals all on January exit | OneFootball

Manchester United are unlikely to sanction a January exit for Manuel Ugarte after sources named two players far more likely to leave before him and with Ruben Amorim’s long-term vision for the Uruguayan midfielder coming to light.

The 34-times capped midfielder was billed as one of the top defensive midfielders in European football when he swapped PSG for Manchester United in summer 2024, one of just five signings made at the club by then sporting director Dan Ashworth.

And while Ashworth was soon on his way after his role did not work out, it’s safe to say the jury remains out on some of his signings – including the €50m (£43m, $58m) spent on acquiring Ugarte.

While he did make 45 appearances across his debut season at Old Trafford, he has fallen down the pecking order this season, usurped in the side by Casemiro, the veteran star, who, it was previously claimed by Jamie Carragher, whose ‘legs had gone’.

The Brazilian, though, has merited his place this season, leaving Ugarte kicking his heels on the sidelines and restricted to just two Premier League starts and eight other appearances off the bench, totalling a meagre 314 minutes.

Off the back of that, speculation has risen that the 24-year-old could be shown the door, or, more accurately, that he could leave to ensure he racks up enough minutes to be included in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad at the World Cup.

To that end, a move to Galatasaray has been strongly suggested as one option for January, amid claims Ruben Amorim is open to letting him leave if a replacement is signed in his place.

However, while transfer journalist Dean Jones accepts that Ugarte is in an ‘awkward situation’, he is adamant a move away in January is not in United’s best interests, especially with lingering doubts over two other stars in his position…

Why Man Utd are unlikely to let Manual Ugarte leave in January

Asked by TEAMtalk about the links to Galatasaray and if Ugarte is likely to leave, Jones explained: “Ugarte is in a bit of an awkward situation and his future is uncertain in some sense. But there might be too much doubt around other players at the moment to actually let him leave.

“At the moment, it is looking like Casemiro will leave at the end of the season, and we know there is also a situation where [Kobbie] Mainoo is agitating to get out in January.

“United’s top midfield targets are looking unattainable in January, and they are struggling to identify new players who can come in and hit the ground running.

“So when you take all of that into account, it’s not looking like an ideal time to let Ugarte go.

“He obviously does not get used as much as he would like, and his transfer to Old Trafford has not worked out as planned. But Amorim does need him and does use him during times when he’s managing certain in-game situations.

“There is also the issue of what he is even worth in the market now. When United sign players these days, they are very much looking at value for money and resale value, as well as, obviously, how well they could do in the team. They spent a lot of money on Ugarte at a time when he was genuinely seen as the fix for their midfield, but it just hasn’t happened.

“His market value has dropped dramatically since he joined United. The deal was worth around £50milllion with add-ons and now I doubt they would be expecting to get more than about half that amount, if he were to leave.

“At the moment, they still need him for depth, and unless they get other bodies in during January, I don’t think they can really consider any offers that come in for him.”

Meanwhile, United sources insist they would have the capability to meet Antoine Semenyo’s release clause in January, and while we can confirm the Red Devils are not favourites for his signature, the fact they are well placed to pounce does give them a leg-up in the hotly-contested transfer race.

Elsewhere, United have identified an elite Elche star seen as perfect for Amorim’s system as a target for the summer of 2026, according to our sources in Spain and England.

Finally, we can also reveal that United have joined Manchester City and Bayern Munich in showing an interest in a rising Ivorian star already branded ‘Le Petit Yaya’ (Toure), with the teenager starting to dominate in Turkey’s Super Lig.