Manchester United is shifting its emphasis away from Manuel Ugarte because of Paris Saint-Germain’s hefty asking price. United have already signed attacker Joshua Zirkzee and defender Leny Yoro this summer and are looking for a new midfielder. Young Uruguayan midfielder, Ugarte was one of their main objectives, but United have shifted their focus to other choices.
According to the reports, United believes PSG’s asking price is too high, and they will only re-enter negotiations if their demands are reduced. PSG is looking to reclaim the £51.4 million they paid to Sporting Lisbon for Ugarte last summer, and several other clubs are also interested in the midfielder. The Paris based club also spent heavily on a new midfielder, which might pave the way for Ugarte’s departure. Joao Neves, a 19-year-old Portugal international, has joined PSG from Benfica for up to £60 million.
I’m very proud to be joining Paris Saint-Germain, a very ambitious club. I’m going to give my all to help my teammates, to grow at this fantastic club, and to win numerous titles, Neves said after signing a five-year deal. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi also hailed Neves, stating: we are delighted to welcome Joao Neves to the Paris Saint-Germain family. Joao is one of the most talented players in Portugal and internationally.
He was so passionate about joining PSG and determined to fight for the jersey, which is what we expect of all our players. We continue to build a fantastic young team at Paris Saint-Germain, based on teamwork, talent, and collective spirit – which is the foundation of our club’s great future, he added.
United, meanwhile, are looking to reinforce in midfield after finishing last season with their lowest Premier League finish ever, and Scott McTominay’s future is uncertain. Fulham has made many proposals for McTominay, but United’s manager Erik Ten Hag stated last month that he wants him to stay.
We have very good players so there will always be interest from other clubs. When you score 10 goals in a season and also perform very well for Scotland, there will be an interest, Ten Hag said. But we want to keep him because he is a very important player in our squad. What he can contribute, as we saw last season once we had our sixes available, he could play in a more advanced role and he is a highly interesting player for our team, he added.
