MU's pre -season campaign can become a hinge stage for many players in the squad of coach Ruben Amorim – and no one is expected more than Manuel Ugarte.
Since Ruben Amorim took over the hot seat from Erik Ten Hag last November, Ugarte was one of the most expected names that would benefit the most. The Uruguayan midfielder used to be Amorim's pet student at Sporting Lisbon, where he played 85 matches under the guidance of the Portuguese coach.
Joining Old Trafford from PSG just more than 2 months before Amorim took office, Ugarte was expected to bring defensive power and interception – something that the Red Devils midfielder was very lacking.
Although Casemiro had an impressive debut season at MU (2022/23), his decline in the next season made the addition of a defensive midfielder become a top priority in the summer transfer window 2024.
Former Sports Director Dan Ashworth then declared: “Ugarte was one of the best shaded midfielders in the world today, possessing an impressive calendar at both the club and the national team.
However, according to Manchester Evening News, Ugarte is not the top priority of Ten HAG. He only ranked third in the Dutch coach's desire list to reinforce the middle line. It is partly reflected in the fact that he has only 7 appearances under the HAG Ten, of which only 3 main kicks. And only one of them is in the Premier League, before Ten HAG was fired on October 28.
The appearance of Amorim is considered a “golden opportunity” for Ugarte to revive his career at Old Trafford. Many people expect him to fit with Kobbie Mainoo to become the main midfielder of the team.
Despite being 34 matches since Amorim took over to the end of the season, Ugarte was eliminated from the starting lineup in the Europa League final and the Premier League against Aston Villa was a remarkable sign. In the match against Tottenham in Bilbao, Casemiro was played with Bruno Fernandes while Ugarte was not even used.
The first season at Old Trafford showed both the strengths and weaknesses of Ugarte. When there was no ball, he proved excellent in keeping the squad and dispute. But when holding the ball, the Uruguayan player revealed many limitations.
Unlike the environment in France and Portugal, the Premier League requires speed and ability to handle in narrow spaces. Ugarte repeatedly embarrassed under pressure, showing that he still needs to improve significantly in the processing and distribution of balls.
However, as a pure “scanner”, Ugarte is still the ideal choice. With MU being given priority to supplement the attack in this summer transfer window, the plan to recruit a versatile midfielder may be delayed. In the diagram of the central midfield, Bruno Fernandes is almost firmly a box-to-box position. The other position needs a defensive midfielder. And in terms of pure expertise, Ugarte is still the most competent name.
The problem is that you need to show more if you want to occupy the main kick. And so, the pre -season this season will be extremely important for Ugarte. Last season, he came on August 31 and had to immediately “rush into fighting”, without time to get used to the new environment – especially difficult at a club that requires strict as MU.
But in the summer of 2025, with a complete training under the old teacher Ruben Amorim, Ugarte will have a real opportunity to catch up and show the right quality that made him a “middle -line monster” in Sporting Lisbon. If taking advantage of well, Ugarte can completely become a “new contract” from the Red Devils.
