Manchester United have completed the signing of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte from PSG.

Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain has been acquired by Manchester United in a transaction that may potentially cost £50.5 million.

United has paid a £42 million upfront price, but with performance-related add-ons, the transaction may be valued as much as £50.7 million (€60 million).

Throughout the transfer window, Ugarte was the team's top midfield target, and United is reportedly pleased with the agreement they were able to reach for the player.

He won't be registered in time to play his first Manchester United game against rival Liverpool on Super Sunday.

PSG entered discussions expecting to get bonuses in addition to the £51.1 million (€60 million) cost they paid Sporting Lisbon in the previous summer. However, considering the desire of all sides to close a transaction, the clubs settled on a compromise.

While discussions for a loan move with a buyout clause were also held, PSG and United were eager to reach a permanent agreement.

Before a transaction to proceed, United had to sell players, but Erik ten Hag's side had enough room for Ugarte when Hannibal Mejbri left for Burnley and Facundo Pellistri went to Panathinaikos.

The midfielder only started 21 games in the 2023–24 season, but he topped the French football league in tackles (98) the previous year.

The way United arrived in Ugarte

One of the first priorities for Erik ten Hag and the new Manchester United football leadership team as they drew out their plans for the summer transfer window was strengthening the midfield by finding a replacement for Kobbie Mainoo.

In addition to fitting into the larger recruitment plan of raising the physical ceiling of the squad, providing a different dynamic, and being the right age profile (no signing has been over 26 under the INEOS-led operation), the ideal target had to complement his game by having strengths that cover the 19-year-old's blind spots.

Most importantly, players whose scouting analyses and data resembled Casemiro's funnelled alternatives.

Manuel Ugarte was a standout; he was a talent that United had already noticed while he was at Sporting. He had been brought in there to fill in for Joao Palhinha at first, but he eventually outperformed him.

In public, Ruben Amorim expressed greater sadness over Ugarte's exit—Paris Saint-Germain defeated Chelsea to win his services—than he did over Palhinha's transfer to Fulham to join Bayern Munich.

United found Ugarte appealing in most of the indicators they deemed most significant, including the vital availability. A spotless injury record is prized by sporting directors of many of the best teams in Europe, and the Uruguayan has an unblemished fitness record.

Going further into his football skills, Ten Hag's press and counter-press effectiveness is one of his main draws.

Although he is not as adept in the air or in breaking lines as Casemiro, Ugarte is a front-foot destroyer with excellent positioning and shielding skills. He also excels at ball retention, carrying, switching plays, and staying secure when the ball is lost.

Ten Hag does not require his new midfielder to possess Casemiro's level of quality when it comes to build-up play, as he has added Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to his roster. His qualities make Ugarte a good fit to assist eliminate a soft centre, which is what he wants.

The increased dynamism, work rate, and movement will help United's midfield.

Ugarte fits Mainoo's profile well because the adolescent's style of play is not suited for his habits of ground coverage, pressing, ball retention, and recovery.

The England international is better at passing the ball, playing links, and withstanding pressure. Theoretically, they make a harmonious mix.

Although Ugarte disagreed with Luis Enrique's possession-focused style at PSG, every elite team evaluated him while he was at Sporting. His stay in the French capital is remembered more as a stain than as the usual.

United has acquired a player at a price somewhat less than PSG had initially desired, who they feel helps offset a number of shortcomings.

Now, Ugarte has to show that they are correct and that he is a good deal.