Man Utd are doing unspoken deal with PSG to seal Manuel Ugarte as £84m star set for Paris

Manchester United appear to have withdrawn from the race to sign Joao Neves to boost their hopes of landing Paris Saint-Germain ace Manuel Ugarte. The Red Devils are busy on a number of fronts in the transfer market, with Erik ten Hag eager to improve his squad for the new season.

United are said to be closing in on the signing of Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee, who is reportedly set to undergo a medical on Friday. His release clause stood at £34million but it is said that United have agreed to pay a slightly higher fee in instalments over the next three years.

They have also been linked with a move for Benfica midfielder Neves but have seemingly made a clever decision to shelve their interest in him. According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, United are no longer pursuing a deal for the £84million-rated playmaker after switching their focus to Ugarte.

It looks like United have moved over for PSG to sign Neves, with the 19-year-old thought to have emerged as a top target for the French giants. They seem to be upping the ante in their pursuit of his signature, with Le 10 Sport reporting that PSG are ready to go all out in negotiations with Benfica.

Neves has been widely tipped to become one of Europe’s leading midfielders and Benfica are reportedly unwilling to sell him for anything less than a premium fee. It means that PSG are likely to be forced to pay the full value of his £84m release clause in order to bring him to the Parc des Princes.

United’s decision to withdraw from the race to land Neves could boost their hopes of sealing a deal for Ugarte. The latter may be deemed surplus to requirements by PSG if Neves joins them from Benfica, which could soften their stance on doing business with the Red Devils.

Reports have suggested that United have already made a £38m bid for Ugarte, who is four years older than Neves and has won trophies in France and Portugal. He joined PSG from Sporting last summer and made 37 appearances in all competitions throughout the previous campaign, chipping in with three assists.

United have also been tipped to sign at least one new central defender, with Lille teenager Leny Yoro thought to be among their priority targets. Bayern Munich ace Matthijs de Ligt, who played under Erik ten Hag during his time at Ajax, is widely reported to be another player of significant interest.