Manchester United signed Manuel Ugarte from PSG last season to strengthen their midfield. But until now, Ugarte is yet to find his best form in the Man United’s jersey.
His form at Sporting was good that PSG signed him, but his time at Paris only lasted for one season before United went to sign him for £50 million in 2024.
Erik Ten Hag was the manager in charge during his arrival at Old Trafford, and reports said that Ten Hag didn’t want to sign Ugarte at first. The signing of Ugarte was seen as the way of the Manchester United board to prepare for the next manager. Not long after the start of the season, Erik Ten Hag was sacked and Ruben Amorim was appointed to replace the Dutchman.
Ugarte has previously worked under Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP. Many expected Ugarte to pick his performance faster in the Manchester United because he is already familiar with the system after playing 85 games with the Portuguese’s side.
Unfortunately, that is not how it turned out to be. So far, Ugarte only managed 21 starts of 41 league games Amorim had, and since the defeat against Brentford, Ugarte only got 77 minutes worth of game time, and was an unused substitute in three of the last five games.
This statistic is a bad image for a midfielder who was signed for a £50 million transfer fee. And with the fact that the manager has a plug and play system he used to play, it looks even worse for him. Fans and pundits have voiced their criticism toward him and even suggested that he shouldn’t be chosen over Mainoo in every game.
Ugarte Is in The Difficult Time at Manchester United
Amorim also said that Ugarte is in a difficult time and he wants to help the Uruguayan to get out of that condition as soon as possible. Amorim also called out that Ugarte has not been the same player as that Amorim knew at Sporting.
“You can sense a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle,” he said. “He is struggling at the moment but it is our job to try to help and help him to feel like I felt when he was a Sporting player.
“But it is a different world. He needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”
Ugarte is probably the midfielder in the United squad with the most defensive mindset, unlike Casemiro who is still going forward into the opposition’s box. But even with a more defensive mindset, his presence doesn’t seem to give the team the security they need.
Also read: Manchester United Need to Use Their Set Piece When Facing Wolves – Price In UK
He was introduced for 13 minutes in the game against West Ham to see out the 1-0 lead, but Manchester United conceded after he came in. Of course it was not entirely his fault, but the case against him is getting more attention.
When Ugarte is on the field, Manchester United has conceded 14 of their 23 goals, not a good image for the midfielder. And his ability to defend the area in front of the center backs.
If there is a midfielder to leave in January, Ugarte is probably the one who should leave before Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo still has a lot to offer for the team going forward. Ugarte on the other hand needs to prove that his ability to cover the defense is needed for the team.
Scroll Price In UK more for more interesting information and related Premier League news.
Do you think Ugarte will regain his form in the team? Or he will available for sale in the January or in June?
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| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal ARS | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 33 |
| 2 | Manchester City MCI | 15 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 16 | 19 | 31 |
| 3 | Aston Villa AVL | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 30 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace CRY | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 26 |
| 5 | Chelsea CHE | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 25 |
| 6 | Everton EVE | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 24 |
| 7 | Brighton and Hove Albion BHA | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 25 | 21 | 4 | 23 |
| 8 | Sunderland SUN | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 23 |
| 9 | Liverpool LIV | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 23 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur TOT | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 22 |
| 11 | Newcastle United NEW | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 22 |
| 12 | Manchester United MUN | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 22 |
| 13 | Bournemouth BOU | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 20 |
| 14 | Brentford BRE | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 21 | 24 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Fulham FUL | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 24 | -4 | 17 |
| 16 | Leeds United LEE | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 29 | -10 | 15 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest NFO | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 25 | -11 | 15 |
| 18 | West Ham United WHU | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 29 | -12 | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley BUR | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 16 | 30 | -14 | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers WOL | 14 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 29 | -22 | 2 |
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