You can install from the Ubuntu server ISO and add a GUI on top of that if you so choose? Basically a “netinstall”, bare minimum O/S ready to plonk stuff on top of…
Seen a few projects for RPi that basically leverage off Canonical’s headless Ubuntu server to run some other GUI (e.g. plonk elementary’s pantheon on top of Ubuntu for arm64.
Having recently installed REL7 and forcing the “text” mode installer (it’s an utter joke that a “server” install of Red Hat, CentOS or Oracle Linux defaults to a Windows style clickety-click-click interface - how can that be “Enterprise”) - both debian and ubuntu are LIGHT years ahead of Red Hat as far as deploying basical headless servers from ISO.
People can laugh at Ubuntu “server” if they want, but I think it’s quite powerful and neat, and I prefer it to anything from the big RED ENTERPRISEY corporations…