Is PSG dumping Ugarte for a new midfield star?

During the 2024 summer transfer window, PSG seems determined to strengthen every position. For each sector of play, various names are being mentioned repeatedly, and in midfield, Joao Neves has been identified as the top priority.

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Is PSG dumping Ugarte for a new midfield star?

The Paris Saint-Germain midfield appears to be an ongoing project. Since Thiago Motta’s departure in 2018, the capital club has struggled to find the right player to position in front of the defense. Last summer, PSG's decision-makers, led by Luis Campos, set their sights on Manuel Ugarte.

The Uruguayan international joined PSG from Sporting Portugal for €60 million, a sum equivalent to his release clause. This transfer, made before Luis Enrique took charge of the Rouge & Bleu, now seems like a casting error. After a few weeks of competition in his first season in Paris, Ugarte appeared to be an undisputed starter in front of the defense.

However, the treatment he received from the Spanish coach for the rest of the season is quite revealing of Enrique's opinion of him. The idea is not to draw conclusions about the 23-year-old player but to highlight the gap between what Ugarte can offer and what Luis Enrique expects from his defensive midfielder.

For the latter, Joao Neves’s name has been repeatedly mentioned according to recent press reports, and he is said to be the priority for the Luis Campos-Luis Enrique duo, as reported by Fabrice Hawkins, a journalist for RMC Sport.