Manuel Ugarte has largely disappointed since joining Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024. His exit from Old Trafford is now certain.

The Uruguayan has played just 791 minutes in the Premier League so far this season. His last start came against Burnley and since then, he has been on the bench four times under Michael Carrick.

sports witness He made no secret of his frustration at the 24-year-old’s lack of game time when explaining his stance to the Uruguayan press earlier this month.

The midfielder’s situation is catching the attention of Juventus, who are now keeping a close eye on the former PSG man.

juventus will explore ugarte

gazzetta dello sport The report says the midfielder will feature in Uruguay’s friendly against Algeria on Tuesday. Coincidentally, the match will be played at the Allianz Stadium and this will help Juve defeat Ugarte.

Sporting director Marco Ottolini is keen on the prospect of bringing him to Turin in the summer. He will keep a close eye on the Manchester United player, who has been the subject of interest for the Old Lady in the past.

During the player’s time at Sporting, Juve attempted to execute a deal for Ugarte. Even during his ongoing tenure at Old Trafford, attempts were made to sign him on loan last July.

Tuesday’s game could give Juve the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the player. If things go well, Ugarte could top the Bianconeri’s summer shortlist for midfield signings.

Our opinion: Manchester United should cut their losses

It doesn’t feel like Ugarte is offering enough to the current team. That’s why Manchester United are considering midfield signings that will take that position to a new level in the summer.

Keeping him around long-term would derail the Uruguay international’s career and could see his value drop further.

Manchester United could use the money gained from Ugarte’s exit to help bring in another midfielder. A good World Cup for the player would do wonders to boost his fee, Juventus’ interest could only help further.

The New York Knicks have tried to land a superstar for years. From pursuing LeBron James’ free agency in 2010 to being linked to stars like Donovan Mitchell and even Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks appear to be home to one of basketball’s biggest stars and a perennial championship contender. But, that effort to acquire franchise-changing talent hindered the Knicks for several years.

In an interview with Fan Duel TV play it backFormer Knicks coach David Fizdale looks back at the 2018-2019 season, where New York went 17-65. According to him, the team was trying to land either Zion Williamson or Ja Morant in the 2019 NBA Draft, while also trying to land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

“I was totally on board with the plan we came up with, and I thought this was the deal and this was the way to go about it. It didn’t work out… losing all the games, sacrificing our record to get Zion Williamson or Ja.

He added, “That summer our guys thought KD and Kyrie were definitely coming to us, but it didn’t work out.”

The Knicks have had some productive role players on the team, such as Luke Kornet, who is emerging as a backup center with the Spurs this season. Tim Hardaway, Courtney Lee and Enes Kanter have had productive years in the league and Kristaps Porziņš, though battling injuries, recently helped the Boston Celtics win the 2024 NBA title.

But Fizdale believed the roster construction was not really conducive to winning.

“When you look at that roster as a whole, all solid players, but when you put them on the floor together, the pieces weren’t working… If I were doing it again, I would have struggled more to make a team early on and not cash in on my record.”

Overall, Fizdale brought a different take to the conversation about tanking. The tanking discussion has been a big one throughout the season, and Fizdale offered a different perspective on it.

“That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to tank. When you tank, you have to build something big. Not everything that happens is considered a tank… That’s not the formula.”

When a superstar of Ja Morant’s caliber is reported to be interested in a trade, much of the NBA community usually shuts up and takes notice. However, recent conversations suggest that the Memphis Grizzlies never had a strong trade market for the superstar, despite the fact that the franchise actively explored trade options before the deadline.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Grizzlies may have to wait for teams like the Milwaukee Bucks in the summer to get an attractive return.

“Sources say Sacramento has shown only modest interest. I’m told Miami also inquired about Morant only with the idea of ​​acquiring him in a deal similar to Washington’s asset-light acquisition of Trae Young. And sources say the Heat were not actively pursuing Morant in the days before the deadline because Antetokounmpo had become their primary target,” he wrote.

Stein reports that multiple teams believe the Bucks’ interest in Morant is genuine, whether it’s to pair him with Giannis Antetokounmpo or as a potential successor.

“Many teams came out of the deadline believing that the Bucks’ interest in Morant was genuine … whether it was to establish him as Antetokounmpo’s eventual successor as the Face of the Franchise or because they believe they can truly create a Giannis-and-Ja pairing,” he wrote.

Memphis openly explored deals as part of a broader rebuild, having already traded forward Desmond Benn and Jaren Jackson Jr. for three first-round picks and young rotation pieces.

Despite Morant being a two-time All-Star and former franchise centerpiece after Memphis’ 56-win season and Western Conference Semifinal run, the interest hasn’t been pressing.
Sacramento’s involvement never progressed beyond exploratory dialogue, especially with Morant reportedly unwilling to play there. Miami showed interest and was widely believed to be Morant’s preferred destination, yet the Heat prioritized Giannis Antetokounmpo as their primary target.

Of course, Morant’s diminished value stems from availability and efficiency concerns. The 26-year-old has appeared in only 20 games this season, averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists, but recorded career lows in efficiency (41% FG, 23.5% from three).

Memphis is also just 7-13 in games played, and barring a quick return to form, the situation appears grim as far as genuine interest and an attractive trade package is concerned.