Ugarte eyes World Cup redemption as Manchester United seek £50m exit solution

Manuel Ugarte has acknowledged a difficult debut season at Manchester United while insisting his focus throughout has been on representing Uruguay at the World Cup, a tournament that could prove pivotal to his club future.

The 23-year-old midfielder made just over 1,000 minutes of appearances for United this season, with his final outing coming in the defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford — the West Yorkshire club’s first league win at the ground since 1981. Manager Michael Carrick defended Ugarte’s performances when pressed on the fact he had won just one of his ten starts, yet gave him no further minutes for the remainder of the campaign.

“This year wasn’t my best at Manchester United,” Ugarte said at a Uruguay national team press conference. “But at one point, I had a realisation and said my focus is on the World Cup. I did everything for the World Cup. The minutes I played were with the World Cup in mind. The training sessions I did, both the hard sessions and the rest sessions, were all with the World Cup in mind.”

Ugarte was upbeat about his physical condition heading into the tournament. “I feel great, I’m very excited and focused. The idea for us is to try to arrive in the same form we had at the Copa América, where the preparation was crucial. Playing in a World Cup is a privilege for anyone.”

When asked directly whether he would seek a transfer after the tournament, the Uruguayan was deliberately non-committal. “I’m not thinking about what will happen next because when you finish your career, the best thing is to play in a World Cup for your country,” he said. “Manchester United is one of the best clubs in the world. The World Cup is going to be crucial in determining everything. I’m open to whatever comes.”

Ugarte arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £42.3m, with a further £8.5m in potential add-ons, yet his performances have fallen well short of expectations. United are now believed to be targeting a sale in the region of £20m — a significant loss on their original outlay of more than £50m.

Despite his struggles at club level, Ugarte has retained his place in the Uruguay starting eleven, and a strong showing on the world stage could attract interest from European clubs and improve United’s chances of finding a buyer. For both player and club, a parting of ways this summer appears the most likely outcome — and the World Cup may be the catalyst that makes it possible.