Arne Slot was keen to sign a deep-lying midfield player ahead of his first season as Liverpool head coach but the club turned down the chance to buy a Manchester United target
Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte before the Uruguay star moved to Manchester United last summer, it has emerged. But the Reds had no interest in pursuing anyone else after missing out on their top target, Martin Zubimendi.
It turned out to be a quiet first transfer window for Arne Slot, who completed deals for Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili – the Georgia goalkeeper who will arrive at Anfield this summer – after Zubimendi had a dramatic change of heart at the eleventh hour over a transfer from Real Sociedad.
Slot solved his No.6 search by nudging Ryan Gravenberch back into a deeper position and the rest, as they say, is history. But not before mulling over the prospect of signing Ugarte.
As revealed by The Athletic, the 24-year-old midfielder was ‘offered’ to Liverpool after their proposed move for Zubimendi broke down by his former club, Paris Saint-Germain.
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The Reds passed on such a move, though, with Slot wanting a technical No.6 with the ability to pick the right pass in moments of pressure. There was no interest in pursuing a ‘panic buy’ and, as such, Ugarte stayed in Paris until Manchester United struck a deal with the French champions later in the window.
Ugarte moved to Old Trafford for a deal worth £42million and has endured a mixed maiden season in the Premier League, with United struggling badly under Erik ten Hag and his successor, Ruben Amorim.
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While Ugarte has shown glimpses of why Ten Hag was so keen to sign the midfielder before his sacking back in October, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness doesn’t appear to be overawed with the midfielder given he recently questioned United’s decision to offload Scott McTominay.
The Scot has gone on to enjoy a fine season with Napoli while United have floundered, with Souness telling The Mail: “Oh how Manchester United must regret selling Scott McTominay. He’s a fantastic modern footballer. A high-energy, box-to-box workaholic who chips in with important goals.
“He was 27 years old and not hurting United with his wages when the club’s ‘decision-makers’ thought it was a bright idea to sell him to Napoli for £25million. They’d gone out and spent £58m on an ageing, 30-year-old Casemiro, and paid him £370,000 a week. And another £42m on Manuel Ugarte. Collective transfer fees of £100m.
“Would someone at United please hold their hand up and say, ‘This was my shout.’ Because it’s been an atrocious piece of judgment.”
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