Man Utd may have ideal bait to tempt PSG after Manuel Ugarte 'bid rejected'

Manchester United have reportedly had an offer for Manuel Ugarte rejected by Paris Saint-Germain. The Red Devils are said to be keen to lure the defensive midfielder to Old Trafford to replace Casemiro, who could head to Saudi Arabia this summer. And United could maybe put long-time PSG target Marcus Rashford in front of the French club’s noses to convince them to part ways with Ugarte.

United are set to overhaul their squad this summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe oversees his first transfer window since becoming minority shareholder.

And Ugarte appears to have the credentials to star in England, despite falling out of favour at PSG during the latter stages of last season.

According to L’Equipe, United have submitted an offer for Ugarte in recent days, but have been knocked back after PSG chiefs deemed it to be insufficient. And with a rival Premier League club and a team in Germany also showing interest, the north west giants may have to act quickly to get a deal over the line.

PSG would reportedly consider selling the 23-year-old if they could recoup the majority of the £51million they paid Sporting Lisbon to land him last summer.

But Ratcliffe could keep his money in his pocket and instead look to take advantage of PSG’s interest in Rashford.

According to a report in The Mirror earlier this year, PSG made a concerted effort to sign Rashford in 2022 and were willing to hand him a contract worth £400,000 per week.

And the Parisians were said to be lining up a £75m bid for the English winger this summer in anticipation of Kylian Mbappe’s departure.

United are not actively looking to offload Rashford, although it has been suggested recently that they would consider any bids north of £80m. But Ratcliffe must decide if a swap deal would benefit the Red Devils more.

Rashford endured a nightmare run of form last season as he contributed just eight goals and five assists in all competitions. And the 26-year-old may feel excited about the prospect of starting a new challenge in France.

United could even ask PSG to put some money on the table as well as Ugarte in exchange for Rashford. They may then see a net benefit if the Uruguayan proves to be the missing piece of Erik ten Hag’s jigsaw next season.

And any extra cash in the kitty would come in handy as United attempt to bring in new faces while also adhering to profit and sustainability rules.