£51m Man Utd man who brings ‘chaos’ every time he plays now being targeted by league leaders in ‘significant’ transfer

Manchester United chiefs have conceded that Manuel Ugarte is unlikely to ever be a suitable or successful fit at Old Trafford.As a result, the club will be looking to sell Ugarte come the end of the season, which would see his Red Devils tenure draw to a close after only two years.Manuel Ugarte: What’s been said in recent months?(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)In the lead-up to the winter window opening, reports suggested United were preparing to part ways with the midfielder just 17 months into his contract.Ugarte had received approaches from both Ajax and Galatasaray, but the board opted against facilitating a move in order to grant Michael Carrick as much depth as possible in his bid to secure Champions League qualification.Since the former Red took the reins, Ugarte has not only not made it into any of Carrick’s starting line-ups thus far, but he’s also only featured for a total of 24 minutes across the three matches.The Uruguayan played for nine minutes in the Manchester derby and for 15 minutes against Fulham last Sunday, while he was an unused option for the triumph over Arsenal. Appearances Starts Unused substitute Minutes played 64 45 14 3,767 *Ugarte’s complete record in all competitions for United (Transfermarkt)Why Ugarte’s performances are an area of concern for INEOS(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)In the clash with the Cottagers last time out, United conceded twice in the brief period Ugarte was on the pitch. This season, 24 goals have been scored by the opposition while the midfielder has been in action, which is undoubtedly a red flag that INEOS will be taking note of. #mufc have conceded 24 goals when Ugarte has been on the pitch this season. Reiterates need for at least two central midfielders in the summer. United already lack specialists in that area and will need sufficient quality and quantity when they’d hope to be back in Europe. — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) February 1, 2026iPaper Sport’s Pete Hall spoke on the 24-year-old’s situation yesterday, saying that ‘chaos ensues’ whenever he plays.In regard to the options Ugarte, who signed in a £50.5 million deal when moving from Paris Saint-Germain, might have this summer, Turkish Football claims that Galatasaray retain their interest, and would ideally take the player on an initial loan that includes an option to sign him permanently.The prospective agreement has been deemed ‘one of the most significant transfers in recent Super Lig history’ – if it were to go through.