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Manuel Ugarte's time at Manchester United has not worked out how either party would have hoped.
The Uruguay midfielder signed from French champions Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2024 in a deal rising to £50m with add-ons, but he has struggled to hold down a regular place in the side.
Manchester United clear path for Ugarte exit as asking price revealed
Ugarte was signed by former United manager Erik ten Hag but enjoyed his most consistent run in the side in the second half of last season under Ruben Amorim, his coach at Portuguese giants Sporting CP from 2021 to 2023.
The 25-year-old has been a bit-part player since Amorim was sacked in January, starting just one game for interim head coach Michael Carrick - and that was a 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United earlier this month.
Ugarte's days at Old Trafford appear to be numbered and The Sun reports that he will be available to leave for just £25m this summer.
That would represent a considerable loss on the initial £42m United paid for him, but co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to revamp the squad with the club all-but guaranteed to return to the Champions League next season.
Ratcliffe and his Ineos team will be particularly frustrated that Ugarte's spell at Old Trafford has not worked out, as they are said to have watched the 35-cap international closely during his season with PSG, whose French rivals Nice are also owned by Ineos.
But the report claims that even in 2024 Ugarte was only Ten Hag's third-choice target in defensive midfield, adding that the United hierarchy also began to lose faith in him last summer.
As a result, it now appears that a sale is best for all parties, with the club prepared to take a financial hit on the South American as they look for midfield options elsewhere.
United are said to be targeting at least two signings in central midfield this summer, with former Real Madrid star Casemiro also set to depart at the end of the season.
They have been linked with Adam Wharton, of Crystal Palace, and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali, although reports suggest their interest in both players has cooled.
United beat Brentford 2-1 last night to leave them needing a maximum of two points from their final four Premier League games to seal Champions League qualification, which they can achieve when they host Liverpool on Sunday.
