Ex-Arsenal star 'persuading' Man Utd man to make Old Trafford exit as talks 'progressing positively'

Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Galatasaray as they look to move on one of their more underwhelming signings

Manchester United’s talks with Galatasaray over a loan move for midfielder Manuel Ugarte are ‘progressing positively’, according to reports in Turkey.

Galatasaray's Uruguayan midfielder #34 Lucas Torreira applauds supporters ahead of the UEFA Champions league, league phase - day 5, football match between Galatasaray SK and Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) at the Rams Park stadium in Istanbul, on November 25, 2025 | AFP via Getty Images

placeholder image — Galatasaray's Uruguayan midfielder #34 Lucas Torreira applauds supporters ahead of the UEFA Champions league, league phase - day 5, football match between Galatasaray SK and Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) at the Rams Park stadium in Istanbul, on November 25, 2025 | AFP via Getty Images

Ugarte joined the Red Devils from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth up to £50.5m back in August 2024.

The up-front fee was £42.1m with an additional £8.4m in add-ons. Ugarte was the fifth signing of the 2024 window after he made 37 appearances for PSG in the previous season.

It was reported earlier this week that Ugarte topped Galatasaray’s wish-list in January and Turkish outlet Sozcu has since provided a fresh update on the transfer.

Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge and Ederson from Atlanta are also targets for the club but their high transfer fees has made Ugarte their number one target.

It is claimed that Galatasaray have offered a loan deal with an option to buy but an agreement has not been reached as the Red Devils want a conditional option to buy. They agreed a similar deal with Napoli for Rasums Hojlund, with the Denmark international’s loan move to become permanent if Napoli qualify for the Champions League.

United and Galatasaray have yet to reach an agreement but talks are ‘progressing positively’. The report adds that one of the big factors in Ugarte being open to the move to Turkey is the influence of Uruguay teammates Lucas Torreira and Fernando Muslera, who have been ‘presuading’ Ugarte to join them at the Turkish Super Lig leaders.

Torreira himself has experience of leaving the Premier League for Turkey, having departed Arsenal to join Galatasaray back in 2022.

Ugarte has been a more peripheral figure for United this season and has started just five of the club’s 19 Premier League games under Ruben Amorim in 2025-26.

Speaking about Ugarte’s form in late November, Amorim called out the midfielder and told him publicly that he needs to improve.

He said: "You can sense a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle. He is struggling at the moment but it is our job to try to help and help him to feel like I felt when he was a Sporting player.

"But it is a different world. He needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training."