Mateus Fernandes deal in doubt after Man Utd suffer 'most serious' blow to transfer plans

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Suraj Radia | Editor

Manchester United’s transfer plans have suffered a major blow after seeing one of their most anticipated deals of the summer come to an abrupt halt and lead to a restructure of their window.

United are looking to make wholesale changes to their squad to kick-start the Michael Carrick era after qualifying for the Champions League next season, with plenty of players expected to come in and out of the club.

With at least two midfielders, a left-sided forward and a defender all thought to be on the club’s agenda, United are looking to squeeze every penny from their transfer budget and raise funds by selling a number of stars.

United are hoping to cash in on the likes of Marcus Rashford and Andre Onana after their loan spells away last season, having seen Rasmus Hojlund already complete a permanent move to Napoli.

Former United boss Ruben Amorim is also believed to have made Mason Mount a target at his new club Milan, while fringe players such as Altay Bayindir and Joshua Zirkzee are expected to leave.

However, United’s top priority has been strengthening in the middle of the park, which would require at least one midfielder to leave, but the most likely candidate for a sale is now set for an unexpected stay at Old Trafford, much to the club’s frustration.

Ugarte suffers ‘the most serious injury a footballer can face’

Manuel Ugarte has confirmed he has suffered ‘the most serious injury a footballer can face’ after rupturing his ACL in Uruguay’s defeat to Spain last week at the 2026 World Cup.

The 25-year-old has been in talks with numerous teams over an exit from United this summer, having played just 154 minutes under Carrick since his appointment in January.

United had been hoping to generate at least €30 million for Ugarte following interest from the likes of Juventus and Galatasaray but the Uruguayan will now face a lengthy spell on the sidelines that will end any hopes of a transfer this summer.

“A few days have passed since everything happened,” Ugarte wrote on social media. “Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country's history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my teammates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that's the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know. It's up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall.

“I'm incredibly grateful to Uruguay and Man Utd for being there for me from the moment it happened. A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time. I'll be back stronger.”

How will Ugarte injury affect Man Utd transfer plans?

United have already agreed a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson after the World Cup for €45m, with the move just pending official confirmation, while they are still hopeful of signing Mateus Fernandes despite West Ham’s asking price of around €100m.

With plenty more players to sign and movement on the major sale of Rashford appearing minimal, United had been banking on Ugarte’s sale in order to supplement their budget.

Despite this, the Daily Mail report that Ugarte’s injury is ‘unlikely’ to impact United’s ability to sign both Ederson and Fernandes, although they may struggle to bring in an additional midfielder without his sale.

Having already seen Casemiro leave the club on a free transfer, United were open to making potentially three midfield signings but they will now be forced to rethink their budget to ensure they can cover all bases in the coming months.