Swap deal mooted: United’s PL rivals establish shock interest in wantaway £42m Red, INEOS want one player in return

Newcastle United have reportedly set their sights on a shock move for Manchester United wantaway Manuel Ugarte, according to Football Insider .

As a result, the Red Devils may look to use the Magpies’ interest to their advantage by proposing a swap deal for Sandro Tonali.

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Of course, Newcastle will value the Italian international considerably higher than United do Ugarte, but there’s still an opportunity for discussions to be had.

(Ugarte’s 2025/2026 Premier League record)

Even if the out-of-favour Red hasn’t overseen the most exhilarating campaign, there’s clearly a player in there somewhere that prompted Paris Saint-Germain to spend £50.1 million on him and, in United’s case, £50.5 million (£42m upfront).

What’s more, Ugarte has only just turned 25 , and is a mainstay for the Uruguay national team, having already earned 35 caps.

Newcastle don’t want to facilitate Tonali’s exit by any means. However, there is an acceptance behind the scenes that he’s likely to push – if not force – a move if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.

– Friday, 6 February 2026

Financial woes also mean the Tyneside outfit are going to have to consider parting ways with some of their most valuable assets.

Given they want to keep hold of their skipper and talisman Bruno Guimaraes, it leaves Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento as members of the squad who could be sacrificed to balance the books.

United’s pursuit of the former AC Milan star could, realistically, get underway as soon as the season ends, as Italy’s play-off final defeat means he is in for a quiet summer of watching the World Cup from home like the rest of us.

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Swap deal mooted: United’s PL rivals establish shock interest in wantaway £42m Red, INEOS want one player in return

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