Manuel Ugarte
As traditional a CDM as you’re like to see
The Uruguayan is the next player on Man Utd’s radar as they continue their search to bolster their midfield.
Ugarte is a name that has been associated with the club before as United were in for him last year while he was still at Sporting Lisbon.
Fast forward a year and things have come full circle as the Red Devils look at Ugarte once again and seek a potential Casemiro replacement.
Player Profile
The Uruguay international is a 23-year-old CDM who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, in Paris.
His strong foot is his right and with a height of 1.82m, it makes him quite the imposing figure even more so with his strong build as well as South American tenacity.
With a valuation of €45m and a contract that expires in June 2028, one can be sure that the Parisians will be looking for a pretty price for their midfielder.
It is pretty strange though, that a player (and one so young) could be on the move despite being at a club for just a season.
Style of Play
Manuel Ugarte is one of the most CDM-ing CDMs you’re like to see particularly in the modern game.
As is typical with South American and Uruguay players, the PSG midfielder is happy to run and run and run.
When looking at his heatmap from Ligue 1 last season, one can see that he was all over the pitch with his main area of course, being in midfield.
Having that energy is paramount in today’s game and we know just how important it is in the Premier League. It’s crucial for midfielders to have this type of stamina.
Another one of his South American traits is that Ugarte loves a tackle.
In the past year, he made 4.11 tackles per game which ranks him in the 99th percentile while he alse makes 1.86 interceptions per 90 ranking him in the 96th percentile (these numbers are against similar types of midfielders across Europe).
Those are some seriously impressive numbers.
However, what I will say about this lad being sort of tackle-happy is that it can be both a good and bad thing.
It is great that he likes to get his foot in but sometimes, that can work against you. This was/is a favourite trait of Casemiro’s too and we’ve all seen how that worked against him in the PL. He even picked up two red cards because of slide tackles in the league in just his first season which matched his record in Madrid. He played 336 games for Los Blancos.
It could be an area where Ugarte will have to be careful especially because he does give away a lot of fouls.
In saying that though, he’s not necessarily a player who dives in willy-nilly. He doesn’t often go to ground but instead, prefers to nudge opponents rather than slide in. We know how tackle-happy Casemiro is so to have someone improve upon him is a positive.
What I like about Ugarte is that he does aggressive press really well. He enjoys being all up in the opposition’s face. His pressing takes him into midfield or in the final third, very important areas to try and win the ball back.
On the ball, he isn’t too bad either as his ball progression is pretty good. Out of 61.37 passes per 90, Ugarte has a passing accuracy of 91.2%. Pretty good indeed. The midfielder is also superb at recycling the ball to get play going again.
But despite all this positive talk about his ability in possession, it is an area of his game that he would need some improvement.
Ugarte is also not really known as a player who makes too many progressive passes (3.91 per 90 ranking him in the 31st percentile).
Stas via FBREF.
Compatibility with Kobbie Mainoo
I feel that this is a partnership that could work simply because we would have a more traditional CDM in Ugarte and a more traditional CM in Mainoo. This provides that balance needed in midfield and a chance for the two to give United exactly what they need in the centre of the park.
It is similar to Mainoo and Casemiro, if Casemiro decided he wanted to play good football again 😐.
The former Sporting player ticks all the boxes of that ideal CDM. He shields the defence really well, recycles the ball well, destroys oppositions and has the occasional foray forward.
Ugarte is more than capable of keeping the midfield on lockdown all by himself as well. This will provide said shield to those behind him and give us more options in attack.
Kobbie Mainoo will also have more freedom with a partner like Ugarte as he will allow the 19-year-old to strut his stuff without that worry of leaving the team too exposed.
This is a potential duo that I can get behind.
Another positive with Ugarte is that he doesn’t have injuries. Paired with his ability to run all game, this is perfect for what we need in our team and midfield.
Final Thoughts
He does fulfill all that we require in our midfield. A no-nonsense, old school CDM could be perfect for what we need. A player who will do that sort of dirty work but allow the rest of those ahead of him to have more freedom and license to play as they want.
I can see Mainoo and Ugarte in particular working pretty well but also the rest of the team benefiting from having such a midfielder in the XI.
This is a deal I would do but for a decent price of around £35m to £40m. It appears United are somewhat intrigued by this player as well as the club have already submitted bids to PSG however, they have been rejected as they were deemed too low.
Perhaps we could do some swap deals with them? Casemiro is a player who’s future is up in the air. He would and could still do it in Europe so maybe a move to a slower league where your team is overpowering could be something for the Brazilian to look at 🤷♂️. He will also get Champions League football.
It could work, you know?
Would you like to see the Uruguayan at United, or not?
