This article was originally published in the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Jonathan Johnson’s exclusive transfer articles by email before publication caughtoffside.comsign up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io
Manuel Ugarte at Manchester United it is now very close, and it is a deal that PSG have prioritized as one of their exits since the start of the transfer window. We also know that he has also been a priority for Manchester United, which is understandable given the position he plays and the type of profile he has.
This is one of those moves that feels like it would have to suit all parties – it’s been abundantly clear since the start of Luis Enrique’s time at PSG that there isn’t too much room for Ugarte or anyone of his ilk profile in this PSG team, but equally, Ugarte has shown himself to be a player of substantial quality.
Much of Ugarte’s best form has come with the Uruguay national team, but we’ve also seen fleeting moments of him in a PSG shirt, and I think if you need someone a bit disruptive, a traditional defensive midfielder with the ability athletic to really move, then it’s a great choice. I think in time he could be a good fit for United as a long-term heir to someone like Casemiro.
I think Ugarte has a very good profile for the Premier League as well, I think he’ll love the physical aspect of the English game, and I think he’s ready for it in terms of his fitness and style of play. So why are PSG letting him go and could 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 will miss Ugarte too much. Still, if there was a change of direction at some point in the near future and a move to a different style of play, then I think PSG might wonder if they would have been better off keeping him a little longer, or loaning him out -loan him with an option to buy, so there might be an opportunity if a new manager came in.
At the moment, Enrique is building his own team with his preferred style of play, but we know that managers change a lot in the modern game, and maybe there is a chance that someone else could come in at some point and look at this PSG team with another eye , and maybe I see the need for someone like Ugarte, a real enforcer in midfield.
That’s not the case now, though, and I’m told PSG are happy 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 for a fresh start, and United are getting a player that meets their needs, so I think it really is a win-win all round.
There has been an interesting story evolving about it dispute between Kylian Mbappé and PSG about money and what may be a large amount of unpaid wages to Mbappé from his time at the Parc des Princes. This isn’t actually a new thing, it’s been buzzing around for a while now.
I think PSG have made their position on this very clear, if we think back to the start of last season, when Mbappé didn’t have a pre-season, but then he was welcomed back into the team. This dispute essentially refers to when an agreement was deemed to have been reached that protected all parties over certain bonuses and fees that Mbappé had essentially agreed to waive in order for PSG to agree to reinstate him to the your template
Is there a risk that this could increase? I think the longer it drags on, the more it could become a real headache for both PSG and Mbappé. PSG have been very clear whenever they have communicated this publicly, saying that talks are continuing. Discussions will continue to take place to reach an amicable conclusion and an agreement that is acceptable to all parties.
But I think PSG are frustrated, because they think the deal was clear at the time, especially since Mbappé came out publicly and said there was a deal. I think it now seems to be preventing PSG and Mbappé from properly spending their time together. So I think that’s something that we can expect to see clarified in the next few weeks or months, but I think time is starting to be of the essence now.
There isn’t much time left in the transfer window now, but I think there could be some temptation for PSG to try to strengthen in attack, not necessarily with a player who can play in the center of attack, as Luis Enrique doesn’t necessarily do that. they require this type of profile for PSG to play the way they want.
It could be someone more complementary to the attacking line-up, such as Jadon Sancho, who has been linked with PSG throughout the transfer window, although Goncalo Ramos’ injury is also a bit of a blow and has prompted some rethinking. Part of PSG.
PSG have made a prolific start to the season in Ligue 1 but are still assessing what they want and need, so we’ll see what the Champions League group stage draw holds for them later this week, but I think . There are a couple of areas of this PSG team that they will feel could do with a bit of a boost, both in attack and in terms of strength in depth in defence, particularly the full-back areas.
PSG were looking at Brest’s Bradley Locko before his injury, but I think they could still look at similar players in that position as Lucas Hernandez’s injury means Nuno Mendes is the only option available in that position. There are also questions about how PSG might perform if Milan Skriniar stays on, and there is a chance he will.
Presnel Kimpembe also remains an issue as he is still not ready for a game after a very long injury lay-off, and there is growing concern at PSG that this return may not happen, so it is a situation complicated for them. Obviously, the arrival of players like Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho mean they have more depth than in previous years, but I think there’s probably interest from PSG to cover a couple more bases between now and the end of the window . .
Once the sale of Ugarte to Manchester United is made official, we may see PSG make a move or two, but as I said, I think it will probably be more complementary to the current players than a new star name coming in for a leader role in the team.
The Rayan Cherki story has been complicated for much of the summer and it still looks that way now as we approach the end of the window. Cherki is now training away from the rest of the Lyon squad, with OL actively trying to move on.
Fulham were one of the more recent suitors, while you also had the likes of Borussia Dortmund, but those links have been lost. As stated above, the big question about Cherki has never been his talent, it’s more his personality, his character and his application.
This has so far put off many suitors and may put off future suitors. He may be reaching an awkward point in his relationship with Lyon where they may have to bring him back in, especially if he doesn’t make a move in this window and they have to work to increase his value again.
Lyon made some pretty significant promised sales to the DNCG, which is French football’s financial watchdog. They went over their budget earlier and so there were some pretty big sales involved in that promise so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them quite busy trying to get players off the ground between now and the end of the window as they don’t they have approached to this yet Basically every player on this team right now is available at the right price.
Obviously, some of these players will be more attractive than others, but it’s 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 that continues to attract links, but one of the stumbling blocks is personal terms, as trying to establish a good working relationship with future managers and coaches seems to be a complicating factor.
As things stand, it looks like Cherki may end up stuck in Lyon unless a late deal comes together, but given the number of deals that have already been completed, I think the chances are pretty high that must be done it would be a kind of awkward reconciliation and an attempt to move forward together between Lyon and Cherki, which could put him in the window between now and January. Still, I expect Lyon to be busy before the deadline, so let’s see what happens in the next few days.
