United prepared to accept big-money flop leaving for a low fee as ruthless Carrick looks to clear the board – report

Manchester United are looking to sign three midfielders this summer, but for that to happen, INEOS need to get their player sales spot on. Casemiro has already left, and the plan was to move Manuel Ugarte on as well. The Uruguayan has been a major disappointment since his arrival two summers ago. He has failed to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, which is why the Red Devils are so desperate to offload him. There is reported interest from Galatasaray and AC Milan, but none of the teams are ready to match United’s £30 million asking price. United prepared to accept a loss on Manuel Ugarte The 20-time English league champions need to raise £25.38 million to avoid a loss as per the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules. With the Uruguay international struggling to impact games at the World Cup, United do not see his value rising. The Sun have now reported that the Old Trafford side are prepared to accept a loss from the 25-year-old’s eventual sale. Apart from his asking price, the former Paris Saint-Germain star’s £120,000 weekly salary is proving to be another major hurdle. Manuel Ugarte unlikely to fetch too high a fee However, INEOS are prepared for that eventuality due to their business involving selling multiple academy graduates last summer. “MANCHESTER UNITED are prepared to accept a loss on Manuel Ugarte to sell him this summer. United bought Ugarte for an up-front fee of £42.3million in 2024, with the deal potentially rising to £50.75m with add-ons. “However, Ugarte has endured a poor couple of seasons with United and started only ten games last term. United would require a fee of £25.38m to avoid a loss on Ugarte under the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. “But United are confident they could justify a loss on Ugarte following the £40m sale of Alejandro Garnacho last year. The sales of academy players count for pure profit under PSR and United banked additional fees from minor academy departures over the past 12 months.” United might struggle to land that third midfielder as a result United are well aware that should they actively offer the defensive midfielder to suitors, his value might tank even further. This is why reports emerged that Manuel Ugarte could be kept on as fourth-choice midfielder, a scenario the South American will be keen to avoid. It remains to be seen how much United eventually bank from the No. 25’s sale, and whether that can be enough to bring in a third midfielder, something Michael Carrick desperately wants. Feature image Richard Pelham via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25