Manuel Ugarte: Man United react to Uruguay midfielder’s injury | OneFootball

Manchester United remain confident of rebuilding their midfield this summer, despite Manuel Ugarte suffering a serious knee injury at the World Cup, according to a new report.

Major Setback

Ugarte, 25, has proven to be the worst recruit of the INEOS era after his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain two years ago, worth an initial £42.2 million with an additional £8.5 million in bonuses.

While it is unlikely the Uruguay international has triggered these add-ons, he remains one of the more expensive mistakes in a long line of bad signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

United’s hierarchy had been hoping the Montevideo native would produce a strong showing with La Celeste in North America. Instead, Marco Bielsa’s side imploded with in-fighting, and Ugarte was stretchered off in the 1-0 defeat to Spain, which confirmed their elimination.

In an emotional statement after the match, Ugarte confirmed he had suffered the “most serious injury a footballer can face”. He is understood to have injured his ACL, which can take up to twelve months of rehabilitation to recover from, though some players do not ever fully return to their best.

In this scenario, FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CCP) dictates clubs can claim compensation when their players are injured on international duty. United would be entitled to up to £6.6 million to cover Ugarte’s wages as a result.

Nonetheless, it was believed the inability to sell the former Sporting CP star would limit United’s ability to sign a replacement, with money already stretched at Old Trafford.

United remain confident

However, in an optimistic twist, The Sun reveals INEOS remain confident Ugarte’s injury “won’t disrupt transfer business”.

The urgency to bolster Michael Carrick’s engine room is now “more pressing”, with talks underway to sign West Ham starlet Mateus Fernandes, having already struck a £39 million deal for Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Ederson.

The report states Old Trafford chiefs had “planned on selling Ugarte and were prepared to accept a loss under the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.” But “discussions were not advanced” on a potential sale, despite this intention.

Alex Scott, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba are mentioned as other targets on the radar. United agreed personal terms with Baleba last year, which remain in place this summer should a move be reignited for the Brighton enforcer. The Seagulls were demanding a £100m fee, however.

Scott is attracting attention from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who are also advancing a deal for Fernandes. However, United are understood to be optimistic about signing the 22-year-old Guernsey native, despite Bournemouth’s resolute stance that he is not for sale.

Crystal Palace midfielder Wharton is a talented deep-lying playmaker with many admirers in M16, though the England international is considered broadly similar to Kobbie Mainoo, which has pushed him down the rankings.

Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images

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