Report: Man United eyeing swap deal to sign Premier League midfielder | OneFootball

Manchester United consider creative midfield solution

Manchester United’s search for midfield balance continues to throw up unconventional ideas, and the latest report from GiveMeSport points towards a deal shaped as much by pragmatism as ambition. With Manuel Ugarte struggling to establish himself under Ruben Amorim before his departure, United are now weighing whether their £42 million investment can be repurposed as leverage elsewhere under Michael Carrick.

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Ugarte’s fall from favour has been swift. Before Amorim was sacked, he was prepared to sanction a January exit, though preference leaned towards a permanent move rather than a temporary reset. The reality, however, is that the market often dictates terms, and Old Trafford sources suggest imagination may trump orthodoxy.

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That imagination centres on Sunderland and their 20 year old midfielder Noah Sadiki. Signed from Union Saint-Gilloise for £15 million, Sadiki has impressed since promotion, bringing intensity and tactical awareness beyond his years. Internally, he is described as an “incredible” talent, a label that hints at both excitement and urgency.

United see Sadiki as a stylistic fit, dynamic, energetic and quick, qualities that feel increasingly essential in the modern Premier League midfield.

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Cost control and long term logic

Crucially, Sadiki would arrive at a far lower cost than alternative elite targets. Brighton’s Brighton value Carlos Baleba at £100 million, a figure that jars with United’s need for smarter squad construction. Using Manuel Ugarte as swap bait could soften financial impact while refreshing the squad’s profile.

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For Manchester United supporters, there is frustration that a £42 million midfielder can slip so quickly down the pecking order, but also acceptance that clinging to sunk costs has harmed United before.

Sadiki appeals precisely because he represents the opposite approach. Young, hungry and tactically alert, he fits the idea of building a midfield that can run, press and learn together. Fans have watched rivals gain ground through recruitment discipline, and this kind of move suggests United are finally paying attention.

There will be caution too. Supporters know that potential is not certainty, and the Premier League can be unforgiving. Yet many would see this as a sensible gamble, especially when compared to committing £100 million on a single midfielder.

If Ugarte is not central to Carrick’s plans, then using him creatively feels like progress rather than failure. For fans craving direction as much as results, that shift in thinking may matter almost as much as who arrives next.