According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Manchester United are focused on signing Paris Saint-Germain star Manuel Ugarte instead of Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
Man United could reinforce their midfield department during the summer transfer window with the possibility of multiple exits. Sofyan Amrabat could return to Fiorentina after his loan deal expires on June 30.
Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are also facing uncertain futures at the club. United seem keen on landing a new midfielder and Foot Mercato claim that they are currently prioritising a deal for Ugarte.
The Red Devils have been monitoring the performances of Onana for several months, but they are aiming to sign Ugarte instead. PSG, on the other hand, have identified Onana as a successor for Ugarte.
Top-class
Casemiro had a fantastic debut season with United where he was lauded for his defensive contributions. However, his performances dipped in his 2nd campaign and the club could look to replace him.
Ugarte would be a perfect candidate to takeover the duties in the no.6 role. The Uruguayan is a strong defensive midfielder and does not shy away from challenges. He averaged almost 4 tackles in Ligue 1 last season.
The ex-Sporting man also made over 7 ball recoveries per appearance. On top of this, he is a fantastic distributor from the centre of the park which is something the Red Devils have lacked over the years.
United have had plenty of robust holding midfielders in the past, but not with the passing attributes of Ugarte. He completed 91% of his passes last season. The 23-year-old would be a perfect foil for Kobbie Mainoo.
Paris Saint-Germain recruited Ugarte from Sporting for £51 million last summer and it could take a similar transfer package for United to convince the French champions to part ways with his services.
United are unlikely to pay the entire fee in one payment with a restricted budget. The Red Devils could propose to pay a small fee up front with multiple instalments. They could seek to reduce the fixed fee with add-ons.
