Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte is reportedly set for a more prominent role in the team under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
Amorim officially took charge of his first match as United boss on Sunday against Ipswich Town. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw, with Marcus Rashford and Omari Hutchinson trading first-half goals at Portman Road.
While there were some positives to take, it remains crystal clear that Amorim has a humongous job on his hands – a fact he seems well aware of if his post-match remarks are anything to go by.
Ugarte – who worked closely with Amorim at Sporting Lisbon – started on the bench but was thrust into the action in the second half as United were in search of a winning goal.
Amorim deployed Casemiro and Christian Eriksen as United’s deepest midfielders, but the duo struggled to make an impact. The team lacked energy and intensity in midfield, allowing Kieran McKenna’s side to dominate in certain spells.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Ugarte is set to come into the starting XI when United return to Premier League action against Everton on Sunday.
“Manuel Ugarte is firmly in the frame to be one of the most important figures under new head coach Ruben Amorim and is poised to return to the starting line-up when Everton head to Old Trafford for their next Premier League clash on Sunday, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.”
“Ugarte is in line to be among Amorim’s most trusted members of the dressing room thanks to featuring under him at Sporting, according to GMS sources, and some figures working behind the scenes are expecting the summer recruit to become his ‘brain on the pitch’ due to already having an understanding of the Manchester United chief’s demands.”
GMS add that Ugarte is “spoken about internally as a very influential member” of the United squad.
The Uruguayan is regarded as a player with “bundles of energy” and who can displace Eriksen or Casemiro in Amorim’s preferred starting XI.
Furthermore, GMS state that going forward, Amorim will not regularly pick Casemiro and Eriksen as a pairing. Their partnership raised concerns after the 1-1 draw with Ipswich.
United forked out around £50.5m, including add-ons, to secure Ugarte’s services from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
At Sporting, the 23-year-old midfielder made 85 appearances under Amorim.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
