Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is personally keen on offloading Manuel Ugarte in the summer transfer window, according to a report, which has also revealed that the Red Devils have made Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson their top target.
With Man Utd now looking very likely to finish in the Premier League top five this season, the Red Devils’ co-owners, INEOS, are already planning for the summer transfer window.
Man Utd’s main priority is to rebuild the midfield, with Casemiro announcing way back in January 2026 that he will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
The Premier League club’s co-owners, INEOS, plan to sign two new midfielders in the summer of 2026.
According to The Athletic, Elliot Anderson is the top midfield target for Man Utd, but there is interest in the Nottingham Forest midfielder from Manchester City, too.
Anderson, who has been at Forest since the summer of 2024 when he joined from Newcastle United, has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
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The report has claimed that Anderson ‘tops’ Man Utd’s ‘list for midfield due to his all-action style’, but the club’s co-owners, INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will have to pay £125million for him.
Man Utd want Elliot Anderson in and Manuel Ugarte out
The England international midfielder is also said to favour a move to Man City, who could win the Premier League title this season.
This means that not only do Man Utd have to sway Anderson from a potential move to Man City, but INEOS will also have to pay £125m to his club, Forest.
Man Utd already have a plan to fund a deal for the 23-year-old, with The Athletic reporting that Ratcliffe personally wants Manuel Ugarte ‘sold’.
The Uruguay international midfielder is ‘set to be made available for transfer’, according to the report, which has revealed that Ratcliffe was not impressed with the 25-year-old after watching him live in action against Leeds United earlier this month.
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Man Utd lost the Premier League game against Leeds at Old Trafford 2-1, with Ratcliffe watching it from the directors’ box.
Ugarte started the game and played for the entire 90 minutes, and the former PSG midfielder, who cost Man Utd £50.5million in transfer fees in 2024, produced an underwhelming display.
Ugarte has made 69 appearances for Man Utd so far in his career, scoring two goals and giving six assists in the process.
The Uruguayan is under contract at the Premier League club until the summer of 2029, with the option for a further year.
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