Manuel Ugarte faces having dream Man Utd shirt number taken away by Erik ten Hag
Manuel Ugarte will have his preferred No.4 shirt at Manchester United snatched away from him if Erik ten Hag decides to keep Sofyan Amrabat.
According to Fabrizio Romano, United have been given the green light to sign Uruguay star Ugarte from both the player and Paris Saint-Germain. United’s interest in him comes amid uncertainty in the defensive-midfield position, with Casemiro seemingly past his best and Ten Hag still mulling over whether to make Amrabat’s signing a permanent one.
The latter spent last season on loan with the Red Devils, signing from Fiorentina for an initial £8.5million fee and a £21.5m option to buy this summer.
He endured a mixed first season in England. Although he started 17 matches overall, he went five months without beginning a Premier League match until he was thrown into the mix for the home defeat to Arsenal in the penultimate week of the season.
But after putting on a stellar display in the FA Cup final triumph over rivals Manchester City, United may yet offer him a permanent deal.
Ten Hag, who is set to sign a new multi-year contract to stay on as United manager, will shortly discuss the possibility of buying Amrabat with incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada.
Amrabat is still listed on the first team players section on United’s website. He was likewise included in the promotion for their new jersey.
Sofyan Amrabat is Man Utd's current No.4
Should the Moroccan stay on, Ugarte will have to pick a different number from the No.4 shirt he currently wears for PSG. That may not be too much of a problem, however, given it has not necessarily been a lucky one for him in the French capital.
He joined PSG last year in a £51m transfer but is now expected to leave after failing to impress Luis Enrique.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 05: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Sofyan Amrabat of Manchester United arrives ahead of signing for the club at Carrington Training Ground on September 05, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Ugarte also has a history of wearing various shirt numbers. He has worn 20, 8, 15 and 14 in his club career already and currently wears No.5 on the back of his Uruguay jersey.
United, meanwhile, have not had the best of luck when it comes to past No.4s. Before Amrabat, the shirt was claimed by Phil Jones, Owen Hargreaves, Gabriel Heinze, Juan Sebastien Veron and David May.
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