Man Utd and €60m star in agreement over January exit after Ruben Amorim publicly admitted ‘he is struggling’ | OneFootball

Manchester United and Manuel Ugarte are in agreement over an exit from Old Trafford in the January transfer window, according to a Turkish journalist, as Ruben Amorim and Gary Neville’s previous comments on the midfielder shed light on why a parting of the ways would suit both the club and the player.

Much was expected of Ugarte when he joined Man Utd from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024 for €60million (£52.3m, $70.4m), including performance-related add-ons. As reported by Sky Sports at the time, Ugarte was Man Utd’s ‘primary midfield target’, with the Uruguay international having ‘set his heart on a move to Old Trafford’.

However, things did not go according to plan for Ugarte, with the 24-year-old failing to make a mark at Man Utd and also having injury problems.

The former PSG midfielder has made only 58 appearances for Man Utd so far in his career, scoring two goals and providing six assists in the process.

Sources told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, before Christmas that Ugarte is expected to be moved on in the January transfer window, with the midfielder failing to replace the ageing Casemiro in the team.

There have been reports in the Turkish media since that Galatasaray are planning to sign Ugarte on loan from Man Utd in the January transfer window, with the option to make it permanent for €25 million (£21.8m, $29.5m).

Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük. Who has almost 300,000 followers on X, has brought an update on Ugarte’s situation, reporting that both Man Utd and the midfielder agree that a loan exit would be best.

Kucuk told FutBolArena, as translated by SportWitness: “Why is the Ugarte issue currently standing as a possible potential candidate?

“Because both the player and Manchester United club are currently positive and open to the formula of loan with a purchase option.

“Why this formula? Because there’s a point that people overlook in transfers: there are many parameters in a transfer. You don’t do the transfer just with the money in your safe or the limit set by the Turkish Football Federation.

“You can make A-team budget and spending up to 70% of your annual revenues. That’s why Galatasaray does not want to be put under UEFA’s yellow light and come onto their radar. Moreover, Ugarte is really a good player that they can acquire and put directly into the starting XI.”

What Ruben Amorim has said about Manuel Ugarte

Ugarte has made five starts and eight substitute appearances for Man Utd so far this season.

Amori worked with Ugarte when he was the manager of Sporting CP, and he rates him highly.

In November, Amorim said that he wants to keep the midfielder at Man Utd, but the manager admitted that he was struggling.

BBC Sport quoted Amorim as saying about Ugarte on November 24: “You can sense a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle.

“He is struggling at the moment, but it is our job to try to help and help him to feel like I felt when he was a Sporting player.

“But it is a different world. He needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”

Former Man Utd defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has also been very critical of Ugarte.

During the Premier League game between Aston Villa and Man Utd at Villa Park on December 21, Neville said during his Sky Sports commentary:  “Ayden Heaven has just saved his team two goals in the first part of the game.

“The problem with having Manuel Ugarte in a deep-lying position is he’s not very good on the ball, and there is an example of it.

“Ayden Heaven just gets that second block in, that’s absolutely crucial.”

Meanwhile, Man Utd have decided to bring back a midfielder from his loan spell after he suffered an injury, and he could replace Kobbie Mainoo in the squad when he eventually recovers.