James Pearce says Liverpool turned down chance to sign £50m midfielder
James Pearce says Liverpool turned down chance to sign £50m midfielder Liverpool reportedly rejected the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, a decision that feels more intriguing now as our No. 6 problem continues to sit near the centre of Arne Slot’s issues. DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE!
ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY The Uruguay international eventually joined Manchester United in August 2024, with the deal reportedly worth an initial £42. 1m and potentially rising to £50. 5m ( BBC Sport ).
Liverpool passed on Manuel Ugarte after Zubimendi setback That was after Liverpool had missed out on Martin Zubimendi, with James Pearce now explaining that the Reds were offered another defensive midfield option but chose not to move. Writing for The Athletic , Pearce said: “They didn’t sign an alternative to Zubimendi in 2024 because they felt there wasn’t a suitable player on the market. “At the time they were offered the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain but didn’t fancy him.
” That line is particularly interesting because Ugarte had already been linked with us before his Old Trafford move, with Jorge Chijane, his agent, previously namechecking Liverpool as a possible destination. Even since his move to our historic rivals, there has been suggestions the former Sporting Lisbon man could still be ideal for a shock switch to Anfield . The 25-year-old has not exactly become an automatic starter at Manchester United, with Sofascore listing 22 Premier League appearances but only eight starts this season.
However, the combative midfielder is still averaging 2. 1 tackles per game, which underlines why his profile would naturally attract attention when our midfield balance is being debated. Liverpool still need to solve the No.