The Answer to Manchester United’s Midfield Woes?
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The Answer to Manchester United’s Midfield Woes?

July 19, 2024No Comments


One year after signing for Paris Saint-Germain for a 60M transfer free, the Uruguayan midfielder is set to leave the club as Manchester United looks to bolster their midfield options. What went wrong in France for the ex-Sporting star to be moved on so quickly despite his solid market value?

Name  Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro
Date of Birth 11 April 2001 (23 y/o)
Position Defensive midfielder
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Current Club Paris Saint-Germain (contract until June 2028)
Former Clubs Fénix, Famalicão, Sporting CP
Transfer Value €45M
National Team  Uruguay,22 caps

Ugarte’s Background

Manuel Ugarte, hailing from Uruguay, is a prime example of yet another scouted South American talent. Starting his career at CA Fenix in Uruguay, he was signed by Portuguese club Famalicão for a decent fee, where his performances quickly attracted Sporting’s interest.

Ugarte’s passion and tenacious style as a defensive midfielder earned him a move to Paris Saint-Germain. However, unlike his previous moves, he didn’t become an instant success story despite a promising start.

Ugarte is primarily a ball-winner, someone who excels in aggressive defending. Channel this type of aggression, and you will get a great player. At Sporting, he was known for his fearless tackling, unafraid to throw his entire body into challenges. 

His numbers back up the idea that he thrives on defending, and his entire profile is built around this strength.

The media has often compared his tackling style to that of N’Golo Kanté, who also often resorts to using his legs to stop the opponent at all costs. This perspective is exactly what Paris Saint-Germain had in mind when they signed the Uruguayan: a tenacious player who is unafraid to engage in challenges.

A Tenacious Ball-Winner

In many ways, Ugarte’s playing style justifies the high expectations. His athleticism allows him to be an intense runner, one that most attackers struggle to keep pace with. This trait is reminiscent of other notable Uruguayan players like Ronaldo Araújo and Federico Valverde.

Ugarte often pushes up the field, finding himself in advanced positions without disrupting the team’s structure—a nightmare for opponents. His exceptional concentration ensures he rarely gets tricked by dribbles, and his defensive prowess consistently outsmarts attackers.

This aspect of tenacious pressing is likely to be one of the traits that Paris Saint-Germain valued when they signed the young midfielder. 

PSG needed a player who could compensate for the lack of pressing from their star-studded front three. Ugarte seemed it this role perfectly, willing to reposition himself aggressively to benefit the team.

At the same time, they needed someone to mentor the younger Warren Zaïre-Emery, a promising midfielder who, despite his potential, lacked the defensive numbers required at the highest level. Ugarte, arriving in his early 20s, seemed like the ideal partner to help Zaïre-Emery develop while strengthening PSG’s midfield.

However, Ugarte’s impressive pressing and ball-winning abilities come with a downside: his limited creativity on the ball. While he excels in aggression and defensive work, he lacks the vision and passing range expected at the highest level.

That said, Ugarte often drives the ball forward with speed and power, leveraging his athleticism to accelerate counter-attacks. His physicality gives him a strong grip on the ball, making him effective in transitioning play. Yet, these skills alone aren’t enough to make him a complete midfielder at the elite level of European football.

Enrique’s Style Leaves Ugarte in Limbo at PSG

Ugarte finds himself in a difficult position, as Luis Enrique found him too problematic on the ball. The Spaniard’s obsession with excellent ball circulation is no secret, and Ugarte finds himself stuck under his management. 

As long as Enrique is at Paris Saint-Germain, the Uruguayan midfielder’s future at the club looks bleak.

Luis Enrique’s teams have always featured a defensive midfielder who is strong on the ball (e.g., Busquets, Rodri), meaning that Ugarte’s profile won’t be valued despite his defensive capabilities. 

The lack of confidence in Ugarte’s abilities under Enrique explains why he’s likely to move on just a year after arriving in the French capital.

Ugarte’s Potential Role in Manchester United’s Midfield

Manchester United are set to acquire the midfielder, which is hardly surprising given their focus on strengthening their defensive spine. They initially sought to purchase Jarred Branthwaite from Everton, but the deal fell through due to financial disagreements.

Instead, the Red Devils reportedly snatched Leny Yoro from Manchester United, a young talent also followed by Real Madrid. From this perspective, signing Manuel Ugarte makes sense, especially given the repeated criticism of Casemiro’s performance.

Additionally, the Uruguayan can also play as a centre-back, which could prove useful at a club where most centre-backs sooner or later end up in the hospital, as seen with Victor Lindelöf and Raphael Varane.

Manchester United’s potential signing of Manuel Ugarte aligns with the club’s recent directions and objectives.

The inclusion of INEOS in the club’s organigram is already showing a new direction, looking at younger players with the goal of projecting the club back to the top. However, questions remain about whether Ugarte should lead the midfield given his lack of progressive passing, which could limit Erik ten Hag’s positional options.

Ugarte is still at the beginning of his career, which means that he could improve under ten Hag’s guidance. Unfortunately, this is a familiar argument for many promising players who have stalled instead of improving at Old Trafford.

With Ugarte, Manchester United hopes to provide Erik ten Hag with more tools to achieve his vision. reflects a team’s intentions, and hiring Ugarte indicates that the Red Devils might not prioritise dominating possession, adding an interesting twist to the project.





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