Manchester United have reportedly knocked back a loan enquiry from Aston Villa for midfielder Manuel Ugarte, as the Uruguayan’s future at Old Trafford continues to dominate the headlines ahead of the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa and Newcastle supposedly made loan offers for Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte in January. Both offers were turned down by the Red Devils.
Since the appointment of Michael Carrick as manager in January, Ugarte has found himself a peripheral figure in the United squad.
The 24-year-old, who arrived in a high-profile £51m move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, has struggled to secure a spot in Carrick’s preferred midfield pivot of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo
SportWitness has reported that United are now willing to let the Uruguay international leave this summer, which could mean both clubs revisit the situation.
Atletico Madrid and Juventus are also said to be interested in signing the 25-year-old, with the Spanish side also having a loan offer rejected in the winter market.
Following the injuries to John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans earlier in the year, Villa needed to recruit midfield cover. In the end, they signed Douglas Luiz on a loan with an option to buy, given how well he knows the club and Unai Emery’s system.
Now that two of those players have returned, there is less pressure to focus on the signings of central midfielders in the summer.
The Brazilian’s performances until the end of the season will determine whether the Villans exercise that option. If they choose not to, then Ugarte could be someone they move for instead. However, regardless of their decision, Villa will have to sell one of their midfielders to facilitate any deal.
A chance to revive his career
Since he arrived at Old Trafford from PSG in August 2024, Ugarte hasn’t really made the impact he would have wanted to. In his debut season, he started regularly, appearing 45 times. However, this year he has struggled for game time and has only started seven matches.
Unai Emery is known to be in the market for midfield reinforcements to bolster Villa’s engine room, and Ugarte a tenacious “destroyer” style player was identified as a primary target to provide defensive cover.
Offering him a more prominent role at Villa may give him the opportunity to revitalise his career. Working under a world-class manager in Unai Emery and being in a fresh environment may be exactly what he needs.
Given the quality in Villa’s current double pivot, in Tielemans, Kamara and Amadou Onana, Ugarte would have to show strong performances to start ahead of them. Nevertheless, he would provide healthy competition and experience to help Villa navigate potential Champions League football.
Financial hurdles
The significant restrictions imposed on Villa by the financial rules make a deal quite difficult. United bought him for £42 million, and since this is only his second season at the club, they will want to recoup a large amount of their investment.
Combined with his estimated wages of £150,000, including bonuses, Villa can’t really afford to spend that much money on a player that is unlikely to start.
Unai Emery will no doubt have to be smart in the summer transfer window. Ensuring they don’t spend too much on certain players that could prevent them from buying others is paramount, given the financial restrictions they face.
With United expected to demand a significant fee to recoup their 2024 investment, a permanent move in the summer appears increasingly likely.
Whether Aston Villa will return with a permanent offer or pivot to other targets remains to be seen, but for now, Ugarte remains a Manchester United player albeit one watching from the sidelines.
