Michael Carrick has less than two months before his first full season as Manchester United boss begins. And the club will no doubt back him in the summer transfer window.
With Carrick at the helm, United’s squad will be shaken up this summer. The departure of Casemiro has already left his former side an area that needs reinforcing. Brazilian midfielder Ederson will slightly paper over this crack, and he will arrive after undergoing a medical in early July.
But another of United’s summer plans has been blown apart. Manuel Ugarte was expected to be sold, but he picked up a long-term knee injury while playing for Uruguay at World Cup 2026.
A summer exit now looks unlikely, but United will still be due a hefty chunk of compensation for this injury as Mirror Football takes a look at the latest transfer news from Old Trafford.
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Ugarte suffered a severe knee injury in Uruguay’s final group stage match against Spain in Guadalajara just before half-time. He was taken off the field in tears on a stretcher as his country lost 1-0 and were dumped out.
View 3 ImagesUgarte was severely injured in the 1-0 defeat(Image: Getty)
Initial assessments point to this being a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, likely sidelining him for an estimated 9 to 12 months. Whilst the injury disrupts United’s summer transfer plans, it triggers a major financial safeguard through FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CPP).
This program operates as a worldwide insurance policy designed to protect club teams from the financial burden of paying players who get injured away on official national team duty. FIFA’s policy only kicks in once a player has been sidelined for more than 28 consecutive days due to an international match accident.
Once that 28-day window passes, FIFA assumes responsibility for paying the player’s basic club salary, calculated at a daily rate until they are medically cleared to return to full training.
The policy caps coverage at around £6.5million per player, per injury, which matches a maximum weekly payout ceiling of £120,000. Because Ugarte’s weekly wage at Old Trafford sits right at that £120k mark, FIFA will effectively absorb his entire basic salary for the duration of his recovery. United will receive roughly £6.5m in compensation if he is indeed sidelined for the estimated period.
Elsewhere, ex-United star Juan Mata is expected to assume an ownership role at Melbourne Victory, the A-League club he currently plays for.
The club has officially announced that the World Cup winner has agreed to become a shareholder, with an off-field position starting after his playing career ends.
View 3 ImagesMata has taken on an ownership role(Image: Getty)
Mata said: “Australian football has a future I genuinely believe in. From the moment I arrived at Melbourne Victory, I’ve felt the passion of this Club and the potential of the A-Leagues, and I want to be part of building what comes next – not just for a season, but for the long term.
“I have enjoyed so much this past season on the pitch, and committing to Victory as a shareholder is the natural next step. I want to thank everyone associated with the Club and across Australian football for the way they’ve welcomed me.”
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