Manchester United to sign superstar desperate to join: report

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag walks off at halftime during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton FC at Old Trafford on April 08, 2023 in Manchester, England.
(Image credit: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Manchester United have been very busy this summer. Now, it seems the Red Devils are on the cusp of arguably their most important signing of them all.

The Red Devils began business with Joshua Zirkzee, who scored the first goal of the Premier League season off the bench last week against Fulham. Leny Yoro was next through the door before Bayern Munich pair, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs De Ligt.

But perhaps the most critical signing could be next. With one particular superstar said to be keen on a move, United could have finalised their squad in the coming days.

Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United poses after signing for the club at Carrington Training Ground on July 14, 2024 in Manchester, England.

Joshua Zirkzee joined earlier this summer – and made an instant impact (Image credit: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Transfer journalists Ben Jacobs and Fabrizio Romano have both confirmed that Manuel Ugarte is close to a move. Both have affirmed that Manchester United will sign the player on a loan deal with an obligation to purchase next summer.

Ugarte only signed for Paris Saint-Germain last summer from Sporting. With Vitinha favoured in the centre of the park, however, the Uruguayan has found life in French football difficult – and now, PSG have signed Joao Neves for further competition in midfield.

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Both Romano and Jacobs have also confirmed that Ugarte agreed terms with United over a move earlier this summer, as widely reported. PSG were said at the time to be demanding more than the Red Devils wanted to pay – leading to this new deal structure.

FourFourTwo confirmed three weeks ago that United could return for Ugarte after pursuing other options. The 23-year-old has been one of the club's priority targets since the start of the transfer window and with PSG heavily stacked in central midfield, the Ligue 1 champions have had to address the balance. 

Manuel Ugarte of PSG passes the ball during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier HSC at Parc des Princes on November 03, 2023 in Paris, France.

Ugarte is on the verge of joining United (Image credit: Franco Arland/Getty Images)

United have been linked with Youssouf Fofana, Sander Berge and Sofyan Amrabat since the start of the transfer window. Fofana and Berge are seemingly off to Milan and Fulham respectively, however.

Ugarte is valued at €45 million. His contract expires in 2028. 

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.