Man Utd Misfit Manuel Ugarte Facing Old Trafford Exit as Everton and Palace Circle

Manchester United are ready to listen to offers for Manuel Ugarte this summer, with Everton and Crystal Palace both monitoring the midfielder's situation as they weigh up moves for the Uruguay international, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Ugarte arrived at Old Trafford from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth around £50million in the summer of 2024, but the combative midfielder has struggled to make the impact many expected.

The 25-year-old has largely failed to justify his hefty price tag and has found himself on the fringes under both Ruben Amorim and now Michael Carrick. 

Despite arriving with a reputation as one of Europe's most aggressive ball-winning midfielders, Ugarte has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has endured a frustrating first season in English football.

United insiders have indicated to SportsBoom that the club would be willing to sanction a departure if a suitable offer arrives, with Carrick keen to reshape his squad ahead of the new campaign.

That has alerted several Premier League clubs, with Everton and Crystal Palace emerging as the frontrunners for his signature. 

Italian giants Juventus are also understood to be monitoring the defensive midfielder. 

INTENSE SPOTLIGHT

David Moyes is understood to be eager to add more steel and experience to his Everton midfield and sees Ugarte as a player capable of thriving away from the intense spotlight of Old Trafford.

However, Moyes' number one target is the Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Palace, meanwhile, are also keeping close tabs on developments. The Eagles are looking to build on their remarkable UEFA Conference League triumph last week and view Ugarte as the type of energetic midfielder who could slot seamlessly into their high-intensity system.

While his club future remains uncertain, Ugarte has at least received a major boost on the international stage.

The midfielder recently helped Uruguay secure qualification for next summer's World Cup and could now use the tournament as the perfect platform to reignite his career.

Posting on X after qualification was confirmed, Ugarte wrote: "Another World Cup. If you had told me before, I wouldn't have believed it. The dream of every Uruguayan is wearing the sky blue of the soul."

Man Utd have already found their replacement for Ugarte, as they are leading the race to land recently relegated West Ham midfielder, Mateus Fernandes. 

EMOTIONAL

The emotional message underlined just how much representing his country means to him.

Ugarte will now look to add to his 36 international caps when Marcelo Bielsa's side head to the World Cup, where Uruguay have been drawn in Group H alongside Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain.

Those close to the player insist he remains determined to prove himself at the highest level, but with United prepared to cash in and rival clubs circling, his future increasingly appears to lie away from Manchester.

A move to Everton or Palace could offer the fresh start he desperately needs. 

For United, it would mark the end of an expensive experiment that simply never took off, despite the huge expectations that accompanied his arrival from PSG.