Manchester United Faces Long-Term Problem with Manuel Ugarte
Manchester United thought this summer would be their chance to quietly move Manuel Ugarte on. Instead, they are staring at a situation that could haunt their wage bill and squad planning for years.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, according to a report in The Athletic back in April, had already made up his mind. After watching Ugarte live against Leeds United earlier that month, the INEOS chief wanted the midfielder sold. Not eased out. Sold.
The logic was simple enough. Ugarte had arrived at Old Trafford in 2024 for a fee of more than £50 million, but two underwhelming campaigns later, United were ready to cut their losses.
Then came the World Cup.
Injury changes everything
Ugarte’s summer was supposed to be about auditions and offers. Instead, while playing for Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup finals, he suffered a serious knee injury. Any hope of a transfer vanished in an instant.
What had been a calculated financial decision turned into an enforced stay. At 25, Ugarte will now remain at United at least until next summer, whether Ratcliffe likes it or not.
ESPN has outlined just how problematic that is for the club’s new regime.
United knew they would need a bid of around £20 million to help balance the books. That figure was already ambitious given his recent form and wage demands. A permanent deal was unlikely. The realistic best-case scenario was a loan move, with another club picking up his salary.
Even that fell apart the moment his knee did.
Instead, United will now have Ugarte’s wages covered by the FIFA Club Protection Programme, which compensates clubs when players are injured on international duty. That offers some short-term relief on the balance sheet, but it does nothing to solve the core issue.
The contract runs until June 2029.
A problem that won’t go away
This is where the concern truly bites. United are effectively braced for a long, awkward wait.
ESPN’s report underlines the fear inside the club: Ugarte’s situation could drag on for another three years. By the time he recovers, United will still need to find a buyer or a loan solution willing to take on his wages and accept his recent injury record. There is no guarantee the market will be any kinder next summer than it was this one.
For Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, charged with reshaping United’s football structure, Ugarte is the exact type of legacy problem they want to avoid repeating – a big fee, big wages, and little room to manoeuvre when things go wrong.
Right now, the club has been forced into patience. Not by choice, but by circumstance.
Zirkzee stays – and smiles
Ugarte was not the only player United explored moving on in the summer. Joshua Zirkzee was also made available, yet his story has taken a very different turn.
The Netherlands international remains at Old Trafford, and Michael Carrick has made it clear he sees value in that outcome.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the United manager underlined Zirkzee’s importance to his plans.
“For sure Josh is important, for the team, for the squad the depth,” Carrick said. “Josh is happy here and I have a really good relationship with Josh.
“He wants to play more than he has but that is good healthy competition.
“We have a lot of games coming up, we have a shorter period between games, Josh can do some really top things, I have seen it myself.”
Where Ugarte’s future looks like a financial puzzle with no easy solution, Zirkzee’s position feels more straightforward. He wants minutes, Carrick wants options, and the schedule will give both what they need.
United’s challenge now is clear: turn one stalled asset into a functioning part of the squad or a saleable player, while making sure the next wave of signings don’t become the same kind of long-term burden.
