Manuel Ugarte is reportedly on the verge of signing for Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of €60 million, with an additional €10 million in potential add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause for the French club.
The Uruguayan has been strongly linked to Erik ten Hag’s side throughout the entirety of the summer, and the midfielder finally looks set to become Manchester United’s fifth signing of the summer, joining Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee, marking a strong summer for the Red Devils.
With Manchester United being so heavily speculated to move for a midfield addition in this window, and finally appearing to get their man in Ugarte, we’re going to take a closer look at how the midfielder would fit into Ten Hag’s side:
Midfield Tenacity
It is no shock to say that Manchester United struggled in the middle of the park last season, with many identifying their weakness and vulnerability in midfield as being one of the main reasons for them recording their worst-ever English Premier League finish, placing eighth in the division.
Casemiro enjoyed a stellar first season in England in 2022/23, but the Brazilian midfielder almost always appeared to have no energy last term, being run past by opposition players far too easily and often.
Ugarte will provide exactly that tenacity that Manchester United lacked last season, with the midfielder proving to be one of Europe’s most tenacious defensive players in recent years. Last campaign, Ugarte ranked in the top 10% of midfielders in Ligue 1 for tackles won, duels won, interceptions, recoveries and possession won in the final third, exactly what Man United were looking for.
Controlled In Possession
Casemiro not only looked a liability in defence for large parts of last season, but the Brazilian was also extremely poor in possession, often causing his own problems with poor passes and losing the ball cheaply in the midfield.
Ugarte’s play style is much the opposite to Casemiro’s hopeful passing style, with the Uruguayan making 56.4 successful passes per 90 with a 91.5% success rate last year, much higher than Casemiro’s 52.7 passes per 90 with a success rate of just 82.6%.
That control in possession will certainly provide Man United with a boost, allowing them to keep the ball for longer periods and build up their attacks, while also avoiding giving the ball away with costly mistakes in the middle of the park.
Perfect Partner to Kobbie Mainoo
Despite Man United’s difficulties in the midfield throughout the last campaign, Kobbie Mainoo was an absolute sensation for the Red Devils, making his full English League debut in November against Everton and becoming one of their most important players for the remainder of the term.
Mainoo is more of a forward-thinking player that likes to get on the ball in the middle of the pitch and drive forward with his brilliant technique and dribbling abilities before laying off a pass or taking a shot.
That style is rather similar to Casemiro, who often looks to impact the game higher up the pitch with shots and ambitious passes.
Ugarte, however, is much more of a defence-first midfielder, even stating to Paris Saint-Germain’s club media upon his arrival in France last year that “when I win the ball back, I’m happy”. That style will allow Mainoo to impact the game higher up the pitch with the confidence that the industrious Ugarte will cover him defensively, the potential perfect combination for solving Man United’s midfield issues.
Age Profile
Finally, the midfielder fits into the apparent new profile of players that Man United are signing under the management of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, acquiring players solely under the age of 25.
That comes in stark contrast to what the club had been doing in previous years, signing ageing stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro and Edinson Cavani. While those additions have often had a positive impact in the short term, they are more detrimental in the long term as their physical abilities decline.
With Ugarte being just 23, born in April 2001, the midfielder would be able to provide the club with almost 10 years of service before he reaches the age of the star he is likely replacing in the team in Casemiro, who is 32.
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