James Pearce says Liverpool turned down chance to sign £50m midfielder | OneFootball

Liverpool reportedly rejected the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, a decision that feels more intriguing now as our No.6 problem continues to sit near the centre of Arne Slot’s issues.

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The Uruguay international eventually joined Manchester United in August 2024, with the deal reportedly worth an initial £42.1m and potentially rising to £50.5m (BBC Sport).

Liverpool passed on Manuel Ugarte after Zubimendi setback

That was after Liverpool had missed out on Martin Zubimendi, with James Pearce now explaining that the Reds were offered another defensive midfield option but chose not to move.

Writing for The Athletic, Pearce said: “They didn’t sign an alternative to Zubimendi in 2024 because they felt there wasn’t a suitable player on the market.

“At the time they were offered the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain but didn’t fancy him.”

That line is particularly interesting because Ugarte had already been linked with us before his Old Trafford move, with Jorge Chijane, his agent, previously namechecking Liverpool as a possible destination.

Even since his move to our historic rivals, there has been suggestions the former Sporting Lisbon man could still be ideal for a shock switch to Anfield.

The 25-year-old has not exactly become an automatic starter at Manchester United, with Sofascore listing 22 Premier League appearances but only eight starts this season.

However, the combative midfielder is still averaging 2.1 tackles per game, which underlines why his profile would naturally attract attention when our midfield balance is being debated.

Liverpool still need to solve the No.6 problem

Pearce’s wider point was not simply about Ugarte but about the fact Liverpool have repeatedly looked for a specialist No.6 without landing one.

Aurelien Tchouameni, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Zubimendi were all named as players we pursued, only for none of those deals to happen.

Ryan Gravenberch’s transformation last season was rightly praised as a masterstroke by Slot, but the Dutchman has found this campaign more difficult, especially with so many minutes in his legs and Alexis Mac Allister not consistently offering the same protection alongside him.

Pearce added: “A combative holding midfielder has to be on Liverpool’s summer shopping list.”

After the 3-2 loss at Manchester United, where our defensive structure again looked vulnerable at key moments, it’s hard to argue against that conclusion.

Ugarte may not have been the answer Liverpool wanted, but the question remains unresolved.