Manchester United have given up in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte and are now assessing alternatives.
Erik ten Hag had been interested in a deal to sign the Uruguay international but United are reluctant to meet the French champion’s asking price of around €60m (£51.4m).
PSG signed Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon last summer for a similar fee and despite an openness to his exit, the Parisians are keen to recoup their investment.
The Athletic are reporting that United have now decided to walk away from negotiations unless PSG lower their demands. It remains to be seen whether the stance from the Red Devils is a tactical approach, given PSG’s recent acquisition of Joao Neves from Benfica and potential need to offload Ugarte this summer.
United are in the market for a defensive midfielder after Sofyan Amrabat’s loan move from Fiorentina was not made permanent. There is also interest from Fulham, Everton and Galatasaray in Scott McTominay and concerns regarding the decline of Casemiro’s performances last season.
Frenkie de Jong has again been mooted as a potential option with Ten Hag holding a long-standing interest in the Barcelona midfielder, who could be allowed to leave the Camp Nou should a suitable offer arrive.
