Whilst Manchester United are now on the verge of completing their deal for priority target Manuel Ugarte, new details are emerging around the politics surrounding INEOS affecting the deal. Ugarte and United quickly came to an agreement on personal terms because the Uruguayan was eager to get to Old Trafford.
As Manchester United inches closer to finalizing their pursuit of top target Manuel Ugarte, recent developments indicate that the involvement of INEOS is complicating the process.
Ugarte and United swiftly reached an agreement on personal terms, with the Uruguayan midfielder eager to make the move to Old Trafford. However, the transfer has been in limbo for over a month due to a significant disparity in valuation between United and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Although there have been reports suggesting that United might have withdrawn from the deal, this seems to be inaccurate, as negotiations are reportedly ongoing. At one point, the gap in valuation seemed too wide to bridge.
The latest updates suggest that Ugarte could still join United, potentially on a loan deal with an option to buy set at £51 million (€60 million).
New information has surfaced, indicating that other factors are contributing to the delay. According to Duncan Castles on The Transfers Podcast, a rivalry between the owners of the two clubs may be affecting the transfer. PSG’s owners were reportedly unhappy that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS secured a minority stake in Manchester United over Sheikh Jassim, leading to a “battle of egos.” This tension between INEOS and Qatar is said to be complicating negotiations between the two clubs.
It is still unclear whether this friction also played a role in stalling PSG’s interest in Jadon Sancho, but that potential move appears to have lost momentum.
