Manchester United had been prepared to move Manuel Ugarte on this summer, but the midfielder’s knee injury has put an end to those plans for now.
ESPN has detailed the situation around the Uruguay international, who joined Manchester United in 2024 for more than £50 million. After two underwhelming seasons, the midfielder was available for transfer during the summer window.
Manuel Ugarte transfer ended by injury
ESPN reported, “The Uruguayan arrived at Old Trafford for a fee of more than £50 million in 2024 and after two underwhelming campaigns, he was available for transfer in this window.
“The club knew that to balance the books, they would need a bid of around £20 million – something that was unlikely given his recent form and wage demands.
“The best they could hope for was to arrange a loan with a club willing to cover Ugarte’s salary.”
A permanent exit was therefore difficult to arrange, while a loan would still have required another club to take on his wages.
Then came the injury.
“In the end, a serious knee injury at the World Cup ended any hopes of a move, and United will have Ugarte’s wages paid by the FIFA Club Protection Programme for players injured while on international duty.”
That helps United financially for the time being, but the bigger issue remains.
Ugarte is contracted at Old Trafford until June 2029, and his injury has simply pushed the problem further down the road.
“However, the injury only kicks the issue down the road. Ugarte has a contract until June 2029, which means United will be left looking for another solution next summer and possibly beyond.”
