Man Utd reportedly have an option should they fail to complete a deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
The Red Devils have already secured two signings this summer, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS getting their time at Old Trafford off to a positive start.
Dutch foreigner Joshua Zirkzee arrived from Bologna, while Man Utd have also secured the signing of young French centre-back Leny Yoro from Ligue One side Lille.
And they are close to signing their third signing in the form of Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui with everything agreed and Man Utd are only waiting for the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka before they can close the deal.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Manchester United have agreed private terms with Noussair Mazraoui: he wants to move. There are no problems with the Bayern Munich deal, but the deal is still contingent on Man United finding a solution for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
“More details: the agreement reached between Man United and Noussair Mazraoui is for five years valid until June 2029. It also includes an option for one more year, 2030, as with Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. “
In addition to some other centre-backs, Man Utd are also looking for a defensive midfielder, with PSG’s Ugarte as their main target, but accepting a payment is a problem.
On his YouTube channel, Romano said: “He needs to move to United, he has agreed non-public terms and is also waiting for Manchester United to reach an agreement with PSG.
“What I hear is that PSG could also be open to a loan with legal purchase responsibility for Manuel Ugarte.
“But it is still an obligation, it is still a mandatory clause, a loan with a purchase option, at least for the moment; We know that things can be replaced in the market.
“But at the moment PSG have a permanent link or a transfer, so we will see what happens, but the player is still waiting and hoping to move to Manchester United, his priority for this summer. “
And Caught Offside claims that talks with PSG are “on hold” for the Uruguayan player and that Manchester United is now an option for PSV Eindhoven’s Dutch player Joey Veerman should the Ugarte deal fall through.
He adds:
“Anyway, Manchester United cover all the bases and CaughtOffside’s resources also interest PSV Eindhoven’s 25-year-old midfielder Joey Veerman.
“Erik ten Hag is building a core of Dutch players at United with the investment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, so a move for Veerman makes sense as a viable option for Ugarte. “
Veerman, who won the Eredivisie title last season with PSV Eindhoven, scored 8 goals in games in all competitions last season.
The 25-year-old has played for Volendam and Heerenveen, as well as PSV, and now has 16 caps for the Netherlands following his first call-up in March 2023.