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Facundo Pellistri sends message to Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte after Uruguay’s win over Brazil

Posted on by angelo
Facundo Pellistri sends message to Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte after Uruguay’s win over Brazil

Manchester United are moving forward with a handful of transfer targets in an attempt to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s squad for the new season.

The Premier League season kicks off in just over a month and the transfer window is surely about to start moving, especially for Manchester United.

The signings are yet to come in, but Erik ten Hag’s future is now settled, with the Dutchman set to stay on as United boss.

The focus is now on strengthening Ten Hag’s options for the new season and two targets appear to be in the pipeline for United.

Reports suggest a £34million deal for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is now close to being completed.

United are also said to be confident of signing Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt as Ten Hag pursues a double Dutch deal.

Uruguayan midfielder #05 Manuel Ugarte looks on after his team's victory in the quarter-final of the Conmebol 2024 Copa America football tournament...
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Facundo Pellistri sends message to Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte

Zirkzee can provide competition for Rasmus Hojlund in attack while De Ligt could be United’s long-term option at centre-back on the right side of defence.

They are two key additions to the spine of the squad and United could turn their attention to a midfielder once those two deals are completed.

The main man United are keen to sign is Paris Saint-Germain ace Manuel Ugarte.

The Uruguayan only joined PSG from Sporting for just £51million last summer but boss Luis Enrique is already prepared to sell him to United.

A combative midfielder with a potentially bright future at just 23, Ugarte could be Casemiro’s ideal long-term replacement in midfield.

Ugarte is currently playing in the Copa America and scored the crucial penalty that eliminated Brazil from the competition in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The midfielder took to Instagram to celebrate and received a message from United talent Facundo Pellistri in the process.

Pellistri, who lined up alongside Ugarte for Uruguay against Brazil, said “what a beautiful moment” with a heart emoji.

Pellistri loved watching Ugarte fire Uruguay to the semi-finals and the pair could yet join forces at Old Trafford once the Copa America is over.

Ugarte shines at the Copa America

Ugarte may not want to let a potential transfer distract him from the Copa America, but United will naturally be eager to get a deal done as he continues to shine.

The last thing United want is for PSG to raise their price or do a U-turn and decide to keep them.

Ugarte has been superb this summer, however, averaging 5.3 tackles per game; only two players in the competition are better than him in that category.

The PSG player also averages 1.5 interceptions per game, providing a solid protective screen in front of the Uruguayan back line.

That ability – coupled with the aggressive mentality Ugarte demonstrated with Sporting and Uruguay – is exactly what United need to bolster Ten Hag’s midfield.

A deal doesn’t appear as close as the transfers for De Ligt and Zirkzee, but he could be next in line after impressing in the United States this summer.

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