AC Milan weigh £30m move for Ugarte as Amorim reunion offers United an exit

AC Milan are in talks to sign Manuel Ugarte from Manchester United this summer, with Ruben Amorim’s arrival as the Italian club’s head coach opening a potential escape route for the out-of-favour Uruguayan midfielder. United are holding out for around £30m — a significant discount on the £42m they paid Paris Saint-Germain for Ugarte in 2024.

Ugarte has started just 30 league games across two seasons at Old Trafford and fell further down the pecking order last term when Kobbie Mainoo reclaimed his place in the side. United manager Michael Carrick has since told Ugarte he has no future at the club, and the 24-year-old has instructed his agent, Jorge Mendes, to find him a new destination.

Mendes has opened talks with Milan, where Amorim — who was sacked by United earlier this year — has been appointed head coach. Amorim previously managed Ugarte at Sporting CP, and the pair were briefly reunited at Old Trafford before the Portuguese coach’s dismissal. Speaking two months before his sacking, Amorim acknowledged the midfielder was struggling to rediscover his best form.

“You can sense a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle,” Amorim said at the time. “He is struggling at the moment but it is our job to try to help and help him to feel like I felt when he was a Sporting player. But it is a different world. He needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”

Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani is reluctant to meet United’s £30m asking price, though further talks are planned as both clubs look for a compromise. United have already moved to reinforce their midfield, signing Brazilian Ederson from Atalanta and preparing a bid for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.

Ugarte’s prospects of commanding a higher fee could hinge on his performances at the 2026 World Cup. He started Uruguay’s opening group game, a draw against Saudi Arabia, and faces Cape Verde next before a final group-stage fixture against Spain on June 27.