Manchester United want a third midfielder this summer, but only if Manuel Ugarte can be sold or moved out on loan with an obligation to buy. He is two years into a five-year contract and has a book value of around £30million. That leaves United trying to solve both the squad-space issue and the accounting one before they can go after another midfielder.
Ugarte's place in the rebuild
Tyrone Marshall said there is a strong chance United will add a third midfielder, but only if they can find a taker for Ugarte. That lines up with the club's current position: they want another body in the middle, but they do not seem ready to force the issue unless an exit opens up first.
Ugarte's World Cup numbers help explain why that move is not simple. He has played 3 matches, totalled 187 minutes and posted a 6.37 average rating. That is not the profile of a player making his market impossible, but it also does not create the kind of obvious spike that makes a sale easy to push through.
Baleba and the wider squad plan
Carlos Baleba remains admired, but Brighton wanted £100million for him in 2025 and that valuation does not appear to have shifted. So he is still there as a fallback option, just an expensive one.
Marshall also said United would like at least a second midfielder, and a third if Ugarte leaves. Beyond that, the club are looking at a left-sided player, probably a left-back or left-winger, and at this stage it is unlikely to be both. There is also no shortage of cover at centre-back, where United already have five senior options: Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven.
United finished 3rd in the Premier League, which is why this feels like squad shaping rather than an emergency rebuild. The next move still depends on whether Ugarte creates room in the squad and in the budget, because the club have made clear they want the third midfielder only if they can move him on.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →