Manchester United have learned a top summer target could move to Old Trafford this summer for half the price initially expected if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is willing to play the long game, while the Red Devils are willing to walk away from a move for another player in Joao Neves after seeing an improved bid rejected.
British billionaire Ratcliffe is getting to work on what could be the most transformative summers in the club’s history. While Erik ten Hag has signed a new deal to stay as Manchester United manager, a number of key appointments behind the scenes have arrived to help revolutionise the club and help them on what they hope will be the path back to greatness.
And while deals for Jason Wilcox (technical director), Jean-Claude Blanc (director) and Omar Berrada (chief executive) were easy to pull off, the Red Devils had to wait considerably longer to thrash out a deal for Dan Ashworth, who has accepted the role as the club’s first ever sporting director.
But with Ashworth now in place, United are expected to rapidly accelerate their transfer plans as they look to assemble a squad capable of mixing and matching it against the very best.
To clear the decks, United have already waved farewell to Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial at the end of their deals. Ratcliffe is also prepared to go over Ten Hag’s head and move another costly star in Casemiro on too, while a report on Thursday listed the Brazilian as one of seven names on the Old Trafford chopping block as they look to raise some £200m in transfer fees.
Man Utd see improved bid for Joao Neves rejected
The quest to bring in a new defender is rapidly thundering towards completion with hopes high that Matthijs De Ligt will move to Old Trafford this summer and reunite with Erik ten Hag. Not everyone is happy at the move, however, with the Bayern Munich star’s likely move to United provoking thousands to complain about it.
The Red Devils are also understood to have narrowed their midfield wanted list down to two players, though efforts to sign one of these in Joao Neves is proving far trickier than expected.
The teenage star has enjoyed a brilliant season with Benfica to force his way into the Portugal squad for Euro 2024, appearing twice off the bench during the competition which has now seen them eliminated on a penalty shootout to France.
With Benfica admitting they will likely need a major sale this summer to help balance the books, United first made an approach early for Neves – who has a €120m (£101.7m) exit clause in his deal, with their opening offer reportedly worth €60m (£50.8m).
After seeing that rejected, United have this week raised their bid to €70m (£59.3m), which Benfica have again refused, pointing United once again towards the 19-year-old’s release clause.
However, reports in Portugal now claim United will not be making a third offer, informing the Portuguese giants that their final bid is a take-it-or-leave-it one.
In return, Benfica president Rui Costa is thought to be ‘uncompromising’ in his stance over the sale of his ‘vital’ star, though could yet come back to the negotiating table if nothing more substantial comes their way.
Man Utd transfers: Second midfielder can ‘leave for half price’
United also face a waiting game over a second midfield target in Manuel Ugarte.
Currently away on Copa America duty with Uruguay, the 23-year-old has proved one of the star’s of the tournament so far, with his credentials set to be tested on Sunday evening in a crack quarter-final tie against Brazil.
Having moved to PSG last summer for a fee of €60m, Ugarte has surprisingly been told he is free to leave this summer after falling down the pecking order under Luis Enrique.
And with the player seemingly keen on the move to Old Trafford, United have been given huge hope that a deal for Ugarte can be done this summer.
PSG, for their part, are looking to make their money back on the player – a fee which will fall within United’s budget given the offer they have already put on the table for Neves.
Ugarte to United seems to have gathered pace quite significantly and it’s not too surprising. I think Ugarte is tailor-made for the Premier League and I think the drop-off from Casemiro in the season just gone means it’s normal United would be looking for a profile like that to replace him,” Johnson said.
“It’s also a good time for PSG to sell Ugarte because he’s in good form for the Uruguay national team at Copa America, so the fact that he’s performing well at an international tournament means his value won’t drop as drastically as it may have done as he’s not been that important at club level in the second half of last season. So it makes sense for PSG, United, and for the player.”
He added: “It’s a critical moment as well because if this drags on and Ugarte finds himself out of favour with Enrique at the start of the new season with PSG, it will become that much harder for them to command the kind of fee they’ll want, and perhaps even half what they paid for him 12 months ago. If he goes now, PSG won’t make as much of a loss.”
