“We finalised the deal”: United made late hijack attempt to sign Belgian star before agreeing deal for PSG flop

Over the last 18 months or so, Manchester United have made little effort to strengthen their midfield, with Manuel Ugarte being the only midfield addition. Paris Saint-Germain made Ugarte available for sale after Luis Enrique decided to raise the technical level of his midfield. Erik ten Hag, meanwhile, wanted to add intensity and physicality to his midfield, leading to Ugarte’s arrival at Old Trafford late in 2024’s summer window. Signed for an initial fee of £42.1m, the Uruguayan has so far proven to be an underwhelming presence in the middle of the park. Interestingly, United tried to sign another midfielder before striking an agreement with PSG.  Man United failed in their bid to sign Amadou Onana United made a serious attempt to sign Amadou Onana from Everton.  The Belgian’s sister, Melissa, who also represents him, has revealed the details of United’s hijack attempt in an interview with journalist Sacha Tavolieri (via Sport Witness). Melissa said: “Aston Villa’s sporting project was crystal clear. It was a project where Amadou could continue to develop. We spoke with the sporting director, and the salary was also attractive, let’s not kid ourselves. “The Euros were coming up, Amadou was performing well, and we finalised the deal. Then, Manchester United entered the picture. But I had already given my word to Aston Villa.” Onana’s agent added that they “knew very well” that the record Premier League champions “would be able to offer better financial terms” than Villa. However, they believed the Birmingham outfit’s project was better suited to the Belgium international.  The 24-year-old eventually joined Unai Emery’s side in a deal worth around £50m. The dynamic midfielder has established himself as a regular at Villa, having started six Premier League games this term. Amorim needs a new midfielder United, meanwhile, are reportedly eager to sign a new midfielder in January and have been linked with Jobe Bellingham and Conor Gallagher. Ugarte’s role has been reduced to that of a backup. Most recently, Ruben Amorim introduced the ex-Sporting midfielder in place of Casemiro for the final 20 minutes at Tottenham Hotspur. The Uruguay international lacked positional awareness and intensity, and was arguably at fault for both of Spurs’ goals.  Featured image Michael Steele 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 Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!