Liverpool get surprise SECOND chance to sign £52m midfielder one year on

Liverpool have a second chance to sign a midfielder they missed out on in 2023. It’s not one they would have seen coming.

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly made Manuel Ugarte available for transfer - just one year after signing him from Sporting. The Parisians paid £52m in 2023, per the Daily Mail, but are now ready to move on from the Uruguayan.

Ugarte started 21 times in Ligue 1 last season as PSG won the title. He failed to establish himself as a regular and was firmly behind Vitinha in Luis Enrique's preferred starting XI as a defensive midfielder.

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And so ESPN Uruguay report that Ugarte is on his way out of Paris. Manchester United lead the chase, with several sources claiming they're eager to sign the 23-year-old.

But is this one Liverpool should get involved in?

Liverpool were linked with Manuel Ugarte

Liverpool were linked with Ugarte themselves in 2023 before his move to PSG. Record, for instance, had them down as the frontrunners at one stage.

But things never worked out. Perhaps that's because PSG pushed forward, or it could be that Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo took precedence. Or maybe they just weren't interested enough to ever make an offer.

The situation, though, has changed. Liverpool ended up signing Wataru Endo as something of a last resort towards the end of the transfer window. While he was a success, he's not necessarily a long-term option there.

Ugarte could be. Statistically, he excels in the two key areas for a holding midfielder - tackling and passing. Per FBref, Ugarte is in the 99th percentile among midfielders in Europe's top 5 leagues for tackling, 96th percentile for interceptions, and 95th for pass completion.

And at 23, there's a lot of potential and time there.

Liverpool haven't been linked with Ugarte this summer and United lead the chase by all accounts. We do wonder if it's one to keep an eye on, however.

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