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Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United is now really close, and it’s a deal that PSG had as a priority as one of their outgoings from the beginning of the transfer window. We also know he’s been a priority for Manchester United as well, which is understandable given the position that he plays and the kind of profile that he is.
This is one of those moves that looks like it should suit all parties – it’s been very clear since the beginning of Luis Enrique’s time at PSG that there’s not too much space for Ugarte or someone of his profile in this PSG side, but, equally, Ugarte has shown that he is a player of substantial quality.
Much of Ugarte’s best form has come with the Uruguay national team, but we’ve seen fleeting moments of it in a PSG shirt as well, and I think if you require someone who’s a bit of a destroyer, a proper traditional defensive midfielder with the athletic capacity to really get around, then he’s a great option. I think with time he could be a good fit for United as a long-term heir to someone like Casemiro.
I think Ugarte also has a profile that is very well matched with the Premier League, I think he’ll relish the physical aspect of the English game, and I think he’s ready-made for it in terms of his fitness and playing style. So why are PSG letting him go and might they live to regret it?
I think at the moment, when you look at the midfield under Enrique, with the technical quality of players like new signing Joao Neves, I don’t think they’ll miss Ugarte too much. Still, should there be a change of management at some point in the near future, and a move towards a different playing style, then I think PSG might wonder if they’d have done better to hold on to him for a while longer, or loan him out with an option to buy, so that there could be an opportunity for him if a new manager was to come in.
For now, Enrique is building his own side with his preferred playing style, but we know managers change a lot in the modern game, and there’s perhaps a chance someone else could come in at some point and look at this PSG team with a different eye, and perhaps see a need for someone like Ugarte, a real enforcer in midfield.
That’s not the case now, though, and I’m told PSG are satisfied with the deal they’ve managed to negotiate, which should see Ugarte join United before the end of the transfer window. I think the player will also welcome the chance of a new start, and United are getting a player who meets their needs, so I think it really is a win-win all round.
There’s been an interesting story evolving about the dispute between Kylian Mbappe and PSG over money and what may be a large amount of unpaid wages to Mbappe from his time at the Parc des Princes. This is not actually something new, it’s been rumbling on for some time.
I think PSG have made their position very clear on the matter – if we cast our minds back to the start of last season, when Mbappe hadn’t really had a pre-season but was then welcomed back into the team. This dispute is essentially relating to that time when it was felt that an agreement had been reached which protected all parties over certain bonuses and fees that Mbappe had essentially agreed to forfeit in order for PSG to agree to reintegrate him into their squad.
Is there a risk that this could escalate? I think that the longer it drags on, the more it could become a real headache for both PSG and Mbappe. PSG have been very clear whenever they’ve communicated about it in public, saying that the talks are ongoing. Discussions will continue to take place to reach an amicable conclusion and a settlement that suits all parties.
But I think PSG feel frustrated, because they feel the agreement at the time was clear, especially as Mbappe came out publicly and said that there was an agreement in place. I think it now feels like it’s sort of stopping PSG and Mbappe from properly moving on from their time together. So I think it’s something we can expect to see cleared up in the coming weeks or months, but I think time is starting to be of the essence now.
There’s not long left in the transfer window now, but I think there could be some temptation for PSG to potentially try to strengthen in attack, not necessarily with a player who can play at the focal point of the attack as Luis Enrique doesn’t necessarily require those kinds of profiles to get PSG playing the way that he wants.
It could be someone who’s more complementary to the attacking line up, like Jadon Sancho, who’s been linked with PSG throughout the transfer window, though the Goncalo Ramos injury is also a bit of a blow and has prompted a bit of a re-think on PSG’s part.
PSG have made a prolific start to the season in Ligue 1, but they’re still assessing what they want and need, so we’ll see what the Champions League group stage draw has in store for them later this week, but I think there are a couple of areas in this PSG side that they’ll feel they could do with a bit of a boost in, both in attack and in terms of strength in depth in defence, particularly the full-back areas.
PSG were looking at Bradley Locko of Brest before his injury, but I think they could still looking at similar players in that position as Lucas Hernandez’s injury means Nuno Mendes is the only available option in that position. There are also questions about how PSG might act if Milan Skriniar moves on, and there is a chance he could do so.
Presnel Kimpembe also continues to be a problem as he’s still not match ready after a very long injury layoff now, and there are increasing concerns at PSG that that return might not be forthcoming, so that’s a tricky situation for them. Obviously the arrivals of the likes of Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho means they do have more depth than they had in previous years, but I think there is probably an interest on PSG’s part to cover a couple more bases between now and the end of the window.
Once the Ugarte sale to Manchester United is made official, we might see PSG make one or two moves, but, as I mentioned, I think it will probably be more complementary to the current players as opposed to a new star name arriving for a leading role in the team.
Rayan Cherki’s story has been complicated for much of the summer and it’s still looking that way now as we edge closer to the end of the window. Cherki is now training away from the rest of the Lyon squad, with OL actively trying to move him on.
Fulham were one of the most recent suitors, while you also had the likes of Borussia Dortmund, but these links have fallen away. As previously mentioned, the big question about Cherki has never been his talent, it’s more his personality, his character and his application.
So far, this has put off a lot of suitors and it may well put off future suitors. There may well come an awkward point in his relationship with Lyon where maybe they have to work him back into the fold, especially if he doesn’t make a move in this window and they have to work to boost his value again.
Lyon did make some pretty significant promised sales to the DNCG which is the French football’s financial watchdog. They previously went over their budget and so in this promise were some pretty significant sales, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them being pretty busy trying to get players out between now and the end of the window as they’ve not come close to that yet. Basically every player in that squad at this moment in time is available for the right price.
Obviously some of those players will be more attractive than others, but it is a situation where clubs who have more than a passing interest in a player, could get a pretty reasonable deal for themselves. Cherki is one of those who continues to attract links, but one of the stumbling blocks is personal terms, as it seems trying to establish a good working relationship with future managers and coaches is a complicating factor.
As things stand, it seems that Cherki may well end up being stuck in Lyon unless there is a late deal that comes together, but given the number of deals that have already fallen through, I think the chances are quite high that there might have to be some kind of awkward reconciliation and an attempt to move forward together between Lyon and Cherki, which could then potentially put him in the shop window between now and January. Still, I expect Lyon to be busy before the deadline so let’s see what happens in the next couple of days.
