Manchester United legend Gary Neville has singled out Manuel Ugarte as one of the players likely to leave the club this summer. The Uruguay international, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for £50.8 million in 2024, has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter and was linked with a loan move to Galatasaray in January.

Despite the substantial investment, he has not started any matches under interim coach Michael Carrick, raising doubts about his long-term suitability for the team.

On his Sky Sports podcast, Neville suggested that Ugarte's spell at Manchester is coming to an end. "United needs two midfielders in the summer," Neville said. "I think Ugarte will leave, so they need two really good midfielders. Probably one more positional, maybe the Michael Carrick type, and another who is more of a destroyer."

The need for a rebuild is further accentuated by the imminent departure of Casemiro. Although the veteran Brazilian opened the scoring in Sunday's 3-1 win against Aston Villa, reminding fans of his ability in big matches, his spell at Old Trafford is coming to an end. The club decided not to activate the one-year extension clause in his contract, meaning he will leave when the current Premier League season concludes.

Carrick addressed the situation following the victory over Villa, acknowledging the mutual respect between the player and the fans. "When something is decided, in a way, the fact that it's decided makes things a little easier, and everyone really understands the situation," the interim coach said.

"I think the impact he has had has been fantastic, certainly since I've been here working with him, and his influence on the team and in key moments with his goals. And I think it was a nice moment at the end with the fans, and having that connection and that respect. It was a nice moment, and I think he will enjoy it."

Although the club made significant investments last summer to strengthen its attack — with signings such as Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo — Neville insists that the focus now must be on midfield. He highlighted that while the attacking line "is beginning to work wonderfully well," the lack of depth and quality in midfield remains an evident problem for the team's future.

"Manchester United didn't score enough goals last season, and that's totally unacceptable here; you have to score goals, so they've corrected that. Bruno Fernandes is creating play and even Mason Mount, whom I would include in that when he's fit," Neville added.

"It looks like there are good options up front, but midfield is a problem. They are going to need three or four really good central midfielders. At the moment, they have Mainoo, who you can rely on, but you can't look at any of the others and think that's going to work."

Filling the void left by a Champions League winner like Casemiro will not be an easy task. United has been linked to young prospects such as Nottingham Forest's Eliot Anderson and Brighton's Carlos Baleba, although Neville warned that more experienced players might be necessary. The club is expected to look for players who bring both defensive solidity and technical control to complement Kobbie Mainoo.

With a potential defensive reorganization also on the table, the next transfer window represents another crucial moment in the club's trajectory. Neville concluded: "I think you have to look at the back line, but I think midfield will be the real focus in the summer transfer window."

As the season enters its final phase, pressure will fall on the recruitment department to identify the "destroyer" and "positional" profiles that Neville considers essential for a successful rebuild.

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