Tag Archives: Sporting Lisbon

Manuel Ugarte Finalizes Deal to Join Manchester United

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Manuel Ugarte is switching sides…

Manchester United has finalized a deal to sign the 23-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Manuel Ugarte,Earlier his week the team had reached an agreement on a deal worth an initial €50 million ($55.3 million) with another €10 million ($11 million) in potential add-ons for the Uruguay international player.

Ugarte has signed a five-year deal with the option to extend for a further year. He joins Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee as new signings at Old Trafford this summer.

“Signing Manuel was another of our primary targets for this summer,” Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth said in the club’s announcement. “He is among the very best ball-winning midfield players in the world and has an excellent record at both club and international level. His qualities, experience and passion will be a great complement to our strong group of midfielders.

“Manuel is a player we’ve watched closely, and we are excited to see the positive impact he will make on the pitch and in the dressing room as we continue to strive for success.”

Ugarte has had stints at Portuguese sides Sporting Lisbon and Famalicão, as well as Fénix in Uruguay. Ugarte made his debut for the Uruguay national team in 2021 and has played 22 times for the national side.

He made 37 appearances for PSG last season, including 25 in Ligue 1.

“It is an incredible feeling to join a club of this magnitude; one that is admired all around the world,” Ugarte said. “The project that the football leadership discussed with me is extremely exciting; Manchester United is an ambitious club and I am an ambitious player.”

Barcelona Pushing to Sign Julian Araujo from LA Galaxy

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Julian Araujo is a hot commodity…

Barcelona FC is pushing to sign the 21-year-old Mexican American professional soccer player and LA Galaxy right-back before the transfer window closes in Europe on Tuesday, according to ESPN.

Julian Araujo Barca have been tracking Araujo for a while and want to sign him on loan initially with an option to make the deal permanent given Hector Bellerin‘s possible move to Sporting Club.

Sources have told ESPN that Araujo would initially be registered with Barca’s B team if signed, but that the Catalan club feel he has the potential to be involved with the first team in the short term.

If Bellerin joins Sporting Lisbon this week — with sources telling ESPN that the deal is likely to happen once Tottenham Hotspur complete the signing of Pedro Porro from the Portuguese side — then Barca would be left without a natural right-back.

Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Balde have all been used in the position this season, often at the expense of Bellerin.

Araujo, who was born in California, represented the United States at the youth level and has one cap for the senior side. However, in 2021 he switched allegiance to Mexico, although he’s not played for El Tri since winning his third cap in a friendly against Suriname in June 2022.

Barca are hopeful of closing the deal before Tuesday’s deadline but sources add it is a “complex situation.” A source close to the negotiations in the United States says “it isn’t final by any means.”

Araujo has been a regular for the Galaxy across the last two seasons and convincing the Major League Soccer side to let him leave initially on loan is not a simple task.

In addition, the operation may also have to be approved by LaLiga, although registering him with the B team could prove a workaround.

Barca were unable to register midfielder Gavi‘s new contract last week due to the league’s salary limits, although LaLiga president Javier Tebas confirmed on Monday the club do have “some room” to maneuver this month following the departures of Gerard Pique and Memphis Depay.

Pique announced his retirement in December and Memphis joined Atletico earlier in January in a deal worth an initial €3 million.

Manchester United Agrees to Loan Deal with AS Monaco for Falcao

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Radamel Falcao is the man(chester)…

Manchester United has agreed to a loan deal with AS Monaco for the 28-year-old Colombian footballer, who also plays for the Colombia national football team.

 

Radamel Falcao

Falcao, who cost Monaco 60 million euros last summer, is set to join Louis van Gaal’s squad subject to a medical and terms, according to ESPN FC.

Falcao had also been a target of Real Madrid and had been linked with Arsenal and Manchester City.

His arrival will be one of two transfers United is expected to complete on deadline day, along with finalizing Daley Blind‘s move from Ajax.

Van Gaal had already brought in Southampton left-back Luke Shaw, Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera, Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo and Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria.

European champion Madrid had been the favorite to sign Falcao, whose departure from Monaco seemed to be signaled when he was omitted from their squad to face Lille on Saturday.

Falcao, who missed the World Cup due to a cruciate ligament injury, scored 70 goals in 91 games for Atletico Madrid and 72 goals in 87 matches for Porto before joining Monaco.