Two fringe players at Manchester United causing headaches for Sir Jim Ratcliffe! Need to sell for £51.9 million to avoid loss, yet staying on the team proves ineffective.

Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte and forward Joshua Zirkzee could both be sold by the club this summer, but they joined in 2024 on five-year contracts, having only completed two years, making any sale complicated.

In many eyes, both Ugarte and Zirkzee are considered fringe players—unappealing to keep yet regrettable to discard. Especially Zirkzee, whose technique is often praised by fans, but his pace doesn't suit the Premier League, and as a striker, he doesn't score goals.

Under manager Michael Carrick, both have been substitutes among substitutes, never starting. Although United will return to the Champions League next season, with far more matches than this season's 40, these two players might still not be needed.

During the January winter transfer window, European clubs showed interest in loaning these two players. Ajax was keen on Ugarte, while Roma hoped to bring Zirkzee back to Serie A. At that time, United kept them to ensure squad depth, but since then, their playing time has been minimal. Both are expected to desire leaving this summer to seek more playing time elsewhere.

After the winter window closed on February 2nd, all of Ugarte's five appearances for United have been as a substitute, totaling only 40 minutes—less than half a match. Last Friday, he started for Uruguay and played 87 minutes in one game, surpassing his total minutes at United over two months!

After the match, England national team manager Thomas Tuchel mentioned Ugarte's performance, highlighting his physical duel with Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde, which is Ugarte's strength. But as a midfielder, his positional sense is poor, he is overly aggressive, and his passing is inaccurate—certainly not meeting the standard for a United starter.

Interestingly, Ugarte's style sparked a red-card controversy during the match. The United midfielder nearly received a yellow for a foul in the first half and was booked again for protesting when Ben White scored. However, the referee rescinded one of the yellow cards and did not send him off.

Unlike Tuchel, Uruguay's "Observer" gave a negative assessment of Ugarte's performance, awarding a low score of 4. They explained: "He struggled in midfield, lacked support from teammates, and was largely absent from the game."

The "National" gave Ugarte a slightly higher score, but 5 points is still failing. The paper wrote: "Ugarte covered a large area and showed great effort, but lacked his usual efficiency in duels and passing."

Interestingly, Uruguay trailed 0-1 when Ugarte was on the pitch. After he was substituted, the team equalized, eventually drawing 1-1. Is this coincidence? Perhaps, but such coincidences have occurred repeatedly at United this season. United's rate of conceding goals is higher when Ugarte is playing.

Casemiro's departure could increase Ugarte's chances of staying at United. Because United plans to sign two new midfielders to rebuild, but with Kobbie Mainoo, they would only have three midfielders, possibly needing a fourth. If Ugarte is sold, another player must be bought.

The "Manchester Evening News" reports that United intends to secure new signings first, then decide the fate of 24-year-old Ugarte. Italian media reports that Juventus is evaluating him.

Also 24 years old, Zirkzee has had even less playing time at United than Ugarte. Since Carrick's appointment, he has only made four substitute appearances, totaling 28 minutes. Although the team only has Benjamin Šeško and Zirkzee as strikers, the manager's pecking order for the number 9 position is: Michaël Olise, Šeško, Matheus Cunha, then Zirkzee.

With captain Bruno Fernandes returning to the number 10 role, Zirkzee's opportunities are even fewer. Zirkzee's attitude is good, training diligently, and he recently emphasized that Old Trafford fans are different from anywhere else.

However, club correspondent Andy Mitten states this isn't enough to secure his stay. "I hear Zirkzee trains extremely hard, but he must also perform in matches. We only see his brilliance occasionally; he has some traits other teammates lack, but over a full season, it's not enough to keep him, especially if he can be sold."

One issue United may face in finding buyers for these two players this summer is that their contracts are less than half completed. Ugarte joined from Paris Saint-Germain for £50.5 million, meaning his book value is around £30 million; Zirkzee joined from Bologna for £36.5 million, his book value is approximately £21.9 million.

Any sale below these amounts would be recorded as an accounting loss for United, though part of that loss could be offset by potential wage savings. Selling Zirkzee for £21.9 million is hopeful, but selling Ugarte for £30 million is entirely unlikely.