Heartbroken Manuel Ugarte leaves the pitch in tears as he is stretchered off on World Cup duty with Uruguay – leaving Man United facing a nervous wait over star’s fitness which could put huge midfield overhaul at risk

Man United had the potential to face major transfer consequences as Manuel Ugarte yawned and left the pitch in tears during Uruguay’s match against Spain.

Ugarte started in midfield as Marcelo Bielsa’s side struggled to keep their World Cup campaign alive, but was dropped behind late in the first half after goalkeeper Fernando Muslera shouted.

A few minutes later, Ugarte suffered a knee injury while following his Spanish counterpart Pedri and had to leave the field.

The 25-year-old covered her face as she burst into tears as she was taken away with medical aid.

United will be struggling with Ugarte’s poor fitness and permanent manager Michael Carrick will be keen to oversee a midfield restructuring this summer.

The Red Devils aim to strengthen their midfield with three new signings, but the third transfer is dependent on the club removing Ugarte, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for £50 million in 2023.

Manchester United’s midfielder suffered a knee injury in his country’s match against Spain.

A serious injury to the Uruguayan would mean United going back to the drawing board to fund their transfer plans.

The deal for Atalanta’s Ederson was completed very early, once again demonstrating the club’s desire to move quickly in the market, as it did a year ago when signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

The Ederson transfer was helped by the fact that United faced relatively little competition after Atletico Madrid made it clear they would not match Atalanta’s assessment, but that was not the case for Matheus Fernandes.

West Ham are hoping to step up the bidding war for the Portuguese star and Tottenham are apparently ready to meet the £85 million asking price. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to be monitoring the situation.

Fernandes is within United’s price range and certainly more than their previous top target Elliot Anderson, who looks set to join Manchester City from Nottingham Forest after his value passes the £100 million mark.

There is a feeling that Anderson’s move to City would kick-start the midfield merry-go-round among Premier League clubs this summer, particularly setting a benchmark for transfer fees.

Man United wanted to remove Ugarte from their squad to finance a midfield overhaul.

A potential £126m deal is indicative of the premium prices on offer and United need to decide whether they are prepared to offer more than double the £40m West Ham paid Southampton for Fernandes less than a year ago.

They remain in talks with the Hammers without making a formal offer yet, but it has been clear for some time that the player’s personal circumstances will not be an obstacle.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott could be one of United’s first options if they are unable to sign Fernandes, although he could be a cheaper alternative; So does his team-mate Tyler Adams, who has fans at Old Trafford.

Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba are among other midfielders on United’s radar and they continue to monitor Aurelien Tchouameni’s situation at Real Madrid. It is understood that the French footballer wants to stay at the club, but Jose Mourinho is still evaluating the squad after returning to the Bernabeu.

United’s interest in Sandro Tonali appears to have waned in recent months and the Italian is attracting strong interest from Manchester City and Tottenham, whose £75 million bid was rejected by Newcastle.

Have you been paying attention to the action so far? Try our World Cup quiz HERE