“verbal agreement reached” : Manuel Ugarte move to Manchester United this summer is imminent

There is a report from France that Manchester United is “close to an agreement” to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris-Saint-Germain for around €60 million.

A French daily with reliable sources at PSG says that the talks have reached a new level and that both sides are now “leaning toward an agreement on a direct transfer” for the Uruguayan player.

Ugarte, who is 23 years old, has become United’s top target at Old Trafford. The team’s recruiting team thinks the tough number six would be perfect in Erik ten Hag’s midfield.

The midfielder is one of the best defenders in Europe, and his game seems perfect for a scheme based on pressing and transitions, which is exactly what United’s Dutch manager wants to build this season.

At first, though, PSG’s price tag on Ugarte made it look like a deal might never happen.

It was said that the Ligue 1 winners wanted at least €70 million for their midfielder, with the goal of at least recovering the €60 million (£51 million) they paid to sign him from Sporting last summer.

United officials thought this price was too high because the French club wanted to move a player who had only been there for one year. Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules meant that the Red Devils could not make big transfers. This made it harder for them to make that expensive move.

Someone mentioned that a loan deal with a “obligation to buy” clause could be one way to get around these FFP pressures. The Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said that this strategy was being talked about in talks between the two teams.

A report from Sky Sports, which was shared by The Peoples Person earlier today, said United’s “preference” was still a permanent transfer this summer instead of a loan with a view to a permanent move next year. Based on the report from Le Parisien, this seems to have been right on the mark.

The French news source says that a “direct transfer” worth €60 million is “close,” but that “details [still] to be finalized.” It also says that people on both sides of the talks are “confident that the operation will come to fruition by the end of the transfer window.”

The German football expert Florian Plettenberg agrees with this assessment. He says that “all parties involved [want] to get the deal done soon” and that there has already been a “verbal agreement” made. The source for Sky Sports says that talks are “advanced.”

At this point, it looks like Ugarte will join Manchester United this summer, not if.