Ugarte smuggled out via restaurant loading bay using agent as decoy

MANCHESTER UNITED'S latest signing Manuel Ugarte was cleverly smuggled out of a swanky restaurant by first-team security.

The midfielder's super-agent Jorge Mendes and his team acted as a DECOY as they exited The Ivy's lavish venue through the front door.

And eager photographers were left devastated in Manchester city centre after falling for the bait on Wednesday night.

Instead of snapping their prime target, it was Mendes - who recently stopped representing Cristiano Ronaldo - and his entourage who were papped.

Ugarte was instead driven out of the back of The Ivy's loading bay in a blackout silver Mercedes van.

The Uruguay international will pen a five-year deal with United and Paris-Saint Germain have a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

The Red Devils are set to pay £42.2m up-front, plus £8.5m in add-ons depending on performance.

It was confirmed that he successfully completed his medical at Carrington on Thursday.

The 23-year-old will join United just a year after PSG paid Sporting Lisbon £51.1m for his services.

He is set to become United's fifth signing of the summer after Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthjis de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

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Ugarte will be the second player represented by Mendes to join United this summer, with Yoro also working with his Gestifute agency.

If he is registered before 12pm on Friday, he could be thrust into the starting XI for Sunday's crunch clash with rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.

The midfielder was left out of PSG's opening two match-day squads as Old Trafford chiefs cranked up the heat in negotiations.

United had hoped to land him on an initial loan deal with an option to buy.

But having several offers rejected, the Prem club finally found a breakthrough in talks this week after agreeing to go straight into a permanent transfer.

The Ugarte deal was finalised after United's technical director Jason Wilcox and director of player negotiations Matt Hargreaves flew to France on Monday to hash out the details with PSG, with Mendes also present.

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