Spend 100 million! Manchester United aims at two major targets to supplement their waist in the winter window. Ugarte faces a purge

Manchester United's midfielder has always been the focus of heated discussion, with countless players trying to secure a stable starting position here. Since Amorim took over, he has been unable to find the ideal midfield partner, resulting in a large number of players being trialled. This season, B Fee and Casemiro have become his preferred combination, and the two have started together in five consecutive Premier League games. During this period, the Red Devils remained unbeaten, which seemed to prove that the coach's decision to abandon Kobe Menu and reuse this pair was correct. However, Casemiro is already 33 years old and his career is coming to an end, and the club's top management has begun to look for his successor.

In the past few days, many media have claimed that Manchester United is eyeing Nottingham Forest's Elliott Anderson, hoping to complete the deal after the January transfer window opens. The Red Devils are said to have expressed interest in signing the 23-year-old England international to Nottingham Forest in the coming months. However, Forest has priced it at about 100 million pounds, and once the deal is completed, it will set a new club transfer record.

Anderson is not Manchester United's only target, Brighton's Carlos Baleba comes into view again. According to a Spanish media report, Amorim and Manchester United's management regard the Cameroon international as a "dream" signing, but also a high price. The media said that it would cost 100 million pounds to take away Baleba, but the player himself is open to defecting to Old Trafford.

This is not the first time that Manchester United has purchased a midfielder. In the summer of 2024, they signed Ugarte from Paris for about 50 million pounds, which aroused great expectations from fans at that time. The Uruguayan is regarded as the team's long-lost "stealing machine" and is expected to immediately improve the defensive toughness. However, more than a year after joining the Premier League, he has fallen behind in the pecking order - making only two league starts so far in the 2025/26 season.

Amorim has obviously lost trust in the 24-year-old Ugarte. If new players are added, Ugarte will only continue to be marginalized, and the senior management may sell him before his value has shrunk significantly. Spending 100 million pounds will undoubtedly push the new player directly into the "main force" position, and the transfer fee alone is enough to make Ugarte give way. At present, the 21-year-old Baleba is the most likely candidate to land at the Dream Theater in the winter window. He is regarded as an immediate and long-term upgrade to Ugarte.

Comparing the 2025/26 season data, Baleba has an overall advantage in many key indicators:

-The passing success rate and long pass success rate are both higher than Ugarte, showing a stronger Dominance in possession;

-The success rate of dribble attempts is also higher, and the ability to advance with the ball is better;

-Without the ball, he wins more confrontations, completes more interceptions every 90 minutes, and has a stronger defensive presence.

Although £100 million is a sky-high price, considering his age and immediate combat ability, Baleba can become the answer to Manchester United's midfielder in the next ten years. As for Ugarte, this deal almost means the end of his stay at Manchester United. In order to avoid the 50 million pounds of investment being wasted, the club is likely to choose to cash it out in the next 1-2 transfer windows.