Liverpool reportedly rejected the chance to sign Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte during the summer for a striking reason.
The 23-year-old Uruguay international joined United from Paris Saint-Germain last summer for an initial fee of €50 million. His move came just before the summer transfer window closed, meaning he missed United’s clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford in September, where Liverpool secured a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
Under new manager Arne Slot, Liverpool have been in stellar form, leading the Premier League by five points. They host United at Anfield today, where Ugarte is expected to start, having served a suspension during United’s recent 2-0 loss to Newcastle. Since his arrival at United, Ugarte has made 21 appearances across all competitions.
Interestingly, Ugarte could have been lining up for Liverpool instead. Following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, Slot took over at Anfield and oversaw a relatively quiet transfer window, with Federico Chiesa being the only major signing for £10 million. Liverpool were linked with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, but the Spaniard turned down the move.
After Zubimendi’s rejection, PSG reportedly offered Ugarte to Liverpool, but Slot declined. According to The Times, Slot preferred a “constructive, not destructive” type of midfielder for the number six role. Instead, he turned to Ryan Gravenberch, a player Slot had previously coached at Ajax. Gravenberch, signed by Klopp from Bayern Munich for €40 million in 2023, has impressed this season and is set to face Ugarte in today’s showdown at Anfield.
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