How Manchester United convinced PSG to sell Manuel Ugarte

Manchester United identified Manuel Ugarte early in the summer transfer window as a key target to bring energy and tenacity to Erik ten Hag’s midfield.

However, securing a deal for the Uruguayan has required patience and strategic negotiation.

Last summer, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) signed Ugarte from Sporting CP for around €60m (£51.4m).

Despite his impressive statistics in Ligue 1, where he excelled in both passing accuracy and tackles, Ugarte struggled for consistent game time, making only 21 starts.

The arrival of Joao Neves from Benfica further limited his opportunities, and PSG became open to selling him.

According to 90min, PSG made it clear during negotiations in June and July that they wanted to recoup the full amount they had paid for Ugarte.

Even when discussions moved towards a potential loan with an obligation to buy, PSG stood firm on their valuation.

Personal terms between Ugarte and United were agreed upon well before the clubs reached a consensus, with Ugarte’s personal desire to join the club playing a crucial role.

The 23-year-old, who moved from his native Montevideo to Famalicão, Portugal, in January 2021, was determined to join United, even in the face of interest from Bayern Munich. United’s patience paid off as they were able to negotiate a favourable deal.

The impending sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli for €30m (£25.3m) has been a boost for United, helping with Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) compliance and providing financial flexibility to finalize the Ugarte transfer.

Earlier this week, the two clubs agreed on a structure that would see United pay an initial €50m (£42.2m), with an additional €10m (£8.4m) in potential add-ons.

PSG will receive their asking price, along with a 10% sell-on clause that further sweetens the deal.

The breakthrough in negotiations came on Monday night when United’s technical director, Jason Wilcox, who is part of the new sporting hierarchy at the club, flew to Paris.

Jean-Claude Blanc, INEOS Sport’s chief executive and interim United CEO from May to mid-July, along with sporting director Dan Ashworth, were also heavily involved in the talks.

This deal exemplifies the approach that the new INEOS contingent is taking towards transfers.

While some speculated that PSG’s firm stance was linked to the rivalry between Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe during last year’s takeover battle for Manchester United, sources have downplayed this notion.

Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which has controlled PSG since 2011, was solely focused on selling Manuel Ugarte on their terms without incurring a loss, especially given that Ugarte had only been at the club for 12 months.

Although PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was consulted during Sheikh Jassim’s bid, QSI was not directly involved.

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