Manchester United fans finally have their long-term defensive midfielder after 12 years of applying tapes on a leak.
Even this summer, Manuel Ugarte’s transfer took two months of negotiating with Paris Saint-Germain as the French side remained intent on getting their asking price.
Manchester United even played a game of poker in the press with twists and turns aplenty, including when they said they’re looking for alternatives.
However, that was all smoke and mirrors, and Manuel Ugarte’s transfer fee of €50 million plus €10 million in add-ons reflects a meeting point in the middle.
Deal done after tough negotiations
€60 million? €50 million? A permanent deal or a creative deal with an initial loan and obligation to buy? In a transfer window where Ineos completed transfers with surgical precision, Ugarte became a saga.
It could be because after signing four players, United’s financial situation no longer made it tenable for them to keep splurging money.
The timeline lines up on that theory because the deal for the Uruguayan gained pace as soon as an agreement was reached for Scott McTominay.
United fans put the pieces together of the rapidly developing timeline and declared it a good deal, all things considered-
One fan wrote: “They [club] said they needed to sell a player to pay the asking price and they did, fair play to them.’
Another wrote: “Clearly the holdup was selling McTominay, not the price. 50m for a good young midfielder is a great business for us.”
A third wrote: “For the first time, we sign players on our terms. No more United tax under Ineos.”
And another fan tried to make sense of the structure of the deal: “They [club] made sure they didn’t pay that 60mil PSG asked for. I’m sure the add-ons will be achieved over the years.”
A fifth said: “Really appreciate the negotiations by the new team. No panic”
There were some reservations about the price since it didn’t come down a lot from PSG’s initial stance but expressed hope nonetheless that if add-ons are triggered, he will end up being a bargain.
Decoding the transfer fee
The truth is somewhere in the middle of “United caved to PSG’s asking price” and “Ineos have played a blinder here”.
Ugarte joined PSG from Sporting Lisbon for €60 million straight just last season but quickly fell out of favour when Luis Enrique arrived at the club.
Considering that, PSG have managed to recoup all the money for him by selling him to Manchester United.
However, things are not as straightforward as that because United have managed to win the structure of the deal, if not the final fee.
United will pay €50 million upfront and although the nature of the add-ons is not yet revealed, that’s €10 million saved right now, probably paid only if Ugarte achieves success at Old Trafford.
In that case, not many fans would be opposed to the club paying that extra €10 million or so. Furthermore, it has been clear from day one that Ugarte is the player United have wanted and they were unwilling to settle for another option.
Add to that his age, just 23, and there is genuine hope that he can marshall the spine of United’s midfield for close to a decade.
Looking through all those lenses, it’s clear that it is a rare deal where every side can count themselves as winners.
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