Manchester United (Man Utd) are pursuing an alternative to Manuel Ugarte as they navigate financial fair play (FFP) concerns. With INEOS pressuring PSG to sell Ugarte, United is exploring a swap deal involving Jadon Sancho to address their budget constraints. This strategy could help them balance their books while meeting their midfield needs.
Man Utd’ bid’ for Ugarte alternative as INEOS pressures PSG
Manchester United have reportedly made an offer for Burnley midfielder Sander Berge. Still, it falls short of the club’s asking price. After a disappointing season, the Red Devils are seeking new midfield talent and have also recently pursued PSG’s Manuel Ugarte.
Ugarte was absent from PSG’s Ligue 1 opener on Friday night, where the team cruised to a 4-1 victory over Le Havre.
United’s pursuit of Berge could increase the pressure on PSG, who may hesitate to keep Ugarte if he’s determined to secure a Premier League transfer.
As reported by the Daily Mail, United have yet to match Burnley’s £30m valuation for Berge.
The 26-year-old made 37 Premier League appearances last season after joining Burnley from Sheffield United. Still, it couldn’t stop the team from being relegated to the Championship, finishing 19th.
Berge has yet to play this season, with Burnley’s new manager Scott Parker revealing in a recent press conference: “Sander picked up a knock about a week, ten days ago. It’s not too big; it’s just a slight knock.”
“He’s got a little slight quad issue. I sense the way you’re asking that question you don’t believe that he’s injured?”
“He’s definitely got an injury. He picked up an injury in Spain [during pre-season]. He had a bit of discomfort in his quad. It’s not a big injury; it’s quite a small injury, to be honest with you. But it was a bit persistent. He got a scan, and we think we know where we are with it now. We’ve diagnosed it, and he’s on the right track now.”
PSG is reportedly open to selling Ugarte but wants £52m, the same amount they paid Sporting for him last year. Meanwhile, United’s minority shareholders, INEOS, are now discussing whether to pay that price or opt for Berge, who could be a more affordable option for the club.
United strengthened its squad with four signings this summer. Last week, Erik ten Hag completed a double deal for Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, following the earlier arrivals of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.
On Friday night, Zirkzee scored the winning goal as a substitute in United’s Premier League opener against Fulham. Meanwhile, De Ligt became a substitute, and Mazraoui was included in the starting lineup.
Yoro is sidelined with a foot injury he sustained during his team’s pre-season friendly win over Arsenal in Los Angeles.
Manchester United could devise a Jadon Sancho transfer strategy that would address their FFP concerns
What Manuel Ugarte and Jadon Sancho did on Friday night is still being determined. Still, one thing is sure: neither played for their respective clubs. Ugarte was excluded from Paris Saint-Germain’s squad for their opening Ligue 1 match. Sancho was also absent for United’s game against Fulham.
Following a summer reconciliation with Erik ten Hag, the winger might have hoped to be included in the squad for the start of the season. However, he was left out as he was deemed surplus to requirements. Despite Ten Hag attributing Sancho’s absence to illness, a transfer before the window closes remains a possibility.
In Paris, PSG could benefit from selling Ugarte. The club has recently invested €60m in 19-year-old Joao Neves as part of a €170m spending spree, making Ugarte a potential casualty just a year after his move from Sporting. Although Kylian Mbappe’s wages provide some cost savings, PSG’s net spending over the past two summers has exceeded €400m.
This puts PSG in a tight spot regarding financial fair play regulations, making sales essential. United have been interested in 23-year-old Ugarte all summer but have had difficulty settling on a transfer fee with the club. Given PSG’s current situation, Ugarte is eager to join Old Trafford, and United remains optimistic that PSG will finalize the deal.
United also faces challenges with FFP rules and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulations. They haven’t offloaded as many players as anticipated, and their net spending this summer is around £88.5m, leaving them limited flexibility.
The inability to offload Casemiro has contributed to this, and there was no significant market for Sancho before he reconciled with Ten Hag. United initially aimed to sell Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, but they may now need to consider selling Scott McTominay instead.
Another approach, previously used in the Premier League before the PSR deadline of June 30, involved clubs nearing a breach of regulations making transfer deals among themselves. Aston Villa, Everton, and Chelsea all bought and sold academy graduates to navigate potential compliance issues.
With PSG showing interest in Sancho, the two clubs could arrange a swap deal that helps them balance their finances this summer. This would allow them to offload a player they don’t need in exchange for one who better fits their requirements.
Since the exits of Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi, PSG has lacked marquee names. While Sancho may not be at their level, his addition would still be seen as a significant gain. PSG has previously shown interest in English players, including making inquiries about Marcus Rashford. Notably, Sancho’s standout performance last season was against PSG while playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals.
With Alejandro Garnacho and Amad stepping up this season, United can manage without Sancho. However, they need another midfielder, and Ugarte is their top target. He has been identified as the long-term replacement for Casemiro.
In today’s era, with spending rules tightening and leagues becoming stricter with punishments, clubs need to get creative. This summer, we saw this in the Premier League, where clubs used options to buy, and Chelsea experimented with long contracts to navigate the regulations.
United also needs a creative solution to acquire its final key target this summer. Sancho could offer that solution.
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