£112m Man Utd trio to be replaced as Jason Wilcox ramps up Antoine Semenyo talks | OneFootball

Manuel Ugarte is among three Manchester United players at risk of being replaced, according to reports, while the Red Devils are stepping up their pursuit of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo amid fierce competition for his signature.

Ugarte arrived at Old Trafford in August 2024 when Man Utd agreed to pay Paris Saint-Germain an initial £42million for his services, while the deal had the potential to rise to £50.5m through add-ons. Ruben Amorim’s appointment as Erik ten Hag’s replacement in November 2024 appeared to be good news for Ugarte, as the pair worked together at Sporting CP previously.

However, things have gone from bad to worse for the defensive midfielder, and he could soon leave United…

Man Utd hold Ugarte meeting

According to Turkish journalist Erol Evcen, United chiefs met with their Galatasaray counterparts on Friday to discuss Ugarte’s potential exit.

Galatasaray have formalised their interest in the 24-year-old and opened talks with United to try and get a deal over the line.

United have told Galatasaray how much it will cost to sign Ugarte, though his new price tag has not yet been disclosed. The Turkish giants are now weighing up an official bid to kickstart negotiations.

Sources confirmed to us on Wednesday that United are ready to listen to offers for Ugarte as they plan a midfield overhaul.

United could replace Ugarte with a low-cost option in January, with Ruben Neves, Joao Gomes and Conor Gallagher all on their radar.

INEOS are planning to follow up on such a deal next summer by landing one of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton or Carlos Baleba. Our sources indicate United could even break their transfer record to snare one of that trio, viewing it as a transformative deal.

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Amorim signing already under threat

United paid Lecce £25m to sign left wing-back Patrick Dorgu in January, seeing him as perfect for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

But CaughtOffside claim United are exploring the market to find a more experienced wing-back who can play ahead of Dorgu.

They quote a source as saying: “It’s no secret that he has had a difficult time at United.

“Coming in as a starter… it was too soon for him. They’ll be looking at that position, for sure.”

United have landed on Semenyo as one potential solution. Amorim feels the 25-year-old could flourish as either a left wing-back or as one of his two No 10s.

But CaughtOffside report that United will likely play Semenyo further forward and go in a different direction for their wing-back signing.

They could rival Liverpool and Arsenal for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown, while Newcastle United ace Tino Livramento is a more ambitious target.

Striker to ‘make room’ for Semenyo

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Man Utd are looking to send Joshua Zirkzee back to Italy, in a deal that would aid their talks for Semenyo.

Zirkzee has had a difficult time since joining United from Bologna for £36.5m in July 2024. His form has improved of late, but club chiefs remain keen to part ways.

“Manchester United may make room for a move for Antoine Semenyo by letting Joshua Zirkzee leave – via a permanent transfer or a loan deal with an obligation to buy,” Romano said.

“Talks were held with AS Roma in London last week.”

Amorim does not want to lose Zirkzee, but he looks set to be overruled by INEOS.

Roma are leading clubs such as AC Milan, Everton and West Ham United in the race for the Dutchman.

United locked in Semenyo discussions

Man Utd are eager to sign Semenyo before their Premier League rivals and have outlined their vision to his camp, our sources state.

United director of football Jason Wilcox has told Semenyo where he sees the player fitting in under Amorim, as well as his plan to get the club back to the summit of European football.

The Red Devils have a better chance of signing Semenyo than Tottenham Hotspur, though Liverpool and Manchester City are lurking.

TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher has reported that City are frontrunners after holding positive talks with the Ghana international’s agents.

Liverpool remain quietly confident as their sporting director, Richard Hughes, maintains close ties with his former club Bournemouth.