Breaking News: Man Utd summer signing No 5 powers ‘closer’ as price is slashed to leave Ratcliffe in raptures

After Manuel Ugarte’s representative travelled to England for negotiations and two other factors compelled PSG to reduce their demands, leaving Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the verge of securing his sixth summer transfer acquisition, Manchester United is getting “closer” to signing Ugarte.

The British billionaire wants to turn Manchester United back into one of the biggest teams in English and European football, and the Red Devils have raised the bar this summer. Ratcliffe understands that the Red Devils cannot afford to repeat the season that saw them finish in an all-time club low of eighth place in the Premier League, even though the FA Cup victory last season gave the team some much-needed gloss on an otherwise dreadful campaign.

Ratcliffe has therefore not shied away from spending, having already spent about £150 million on four new players in an attempt to get the team back among the top. First through the door was Joshua Zirkzee, followed shortly after by Leny Yoro; both are excellent young European prospects who fit Ratcliffe’s ideal playing profile.

The Red Devils then had to wait a little bit longer for numbers three and four, but on a rather victorious double Tuesday night announcement, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui both arrived within five minutes of one another, much like Manchester trams.

And it’s obvious that United isn’t done yet because a move to strengthen a weak area is being investigated for a former Chelsea defender.

The true shocker, though, might still be to come as super-agent Jorge Mendes was reportedly in England on Tuesday trying to convince two of his high-profile clients—Joao Felix (to Chelsea) and Ugarte (to United)—to change teams.

Man Utd transfers: Two elements influence the Manuel Ugarte trade The Ratcliffe Method
The Uruguayan sensation, who has been the club’s target for a few weeks, has been determined to be the best person to improve the United engine room.

And after Paris Saint-Germain rejected two bids from sports director Dan Ashworth, it appeared that United would pull out of the deal. Ratcliffe believed that Paris Saint-Germain was asking for too much money for a player they obviously wanted to get rid of.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed the 23-year-old was no longer part of the Ligue 1 winners’ plans and had been authorised to depart, suggesting that United’s patient approach has paid off.

According to recent sources from his home country of Uruguay, Ugarte has made it obvious that he wants to leave PSG as soon as possible. This has forced the French team to reevaluate their pricing strategy for him, and the Red Devils have stated that they would not pay as much as they are now demanding.

Because of this, it’s said that a transfer deal is becoming “closer,” with PSG allegedly having “lowered their demands” and Ugarte “pushing” to sign with Manchester United.

The player and the club have already agreed on personal terms, so United just needs to clear the last two obstacles to complete the deal: a financial agreement and the successful completion of a medical examination.

It is unclear exactly how much they will reduce that cost, but TEAMtalk has learnt that a compromise arrangement of an initial £40 million plus add-ons is reportedly the approximate amount being worked towards at the moment.

There is also hope in Uruguay after a player named his nation’s “most outstanding” performer at this summer’s Copa America was said to have been barred by PSG from first-team training while he waits for a deal to be reached.

While they have been waiting to make an agreement for Ugarte, United have considered a number of other players, such as Danilo Oliviera of Nottingham Forest, Sander Berge, and former loanee Sofyan Amrabat.

But Ugarte has always been their first option, and it appears that news of a breakthrough that will greatly excite Ratcliffe is about to arrive.