Why Man Utd NEED Manuel Ugarte: The born ball winner who can unlock Kobbie Mainoo

It has been a busy summer so far for Manchester United, with the arrivals of Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined outlay of around £150 million.

But there might yet be one more key addition at Old Trafford before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

As TEAMtalk revealed earlier this week, United are now confident of completing a deal – either as an immediate transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy – for top midfield target Manuel Ugarte. Talks between the Red Devils and Paris Saint-Germain at an advanced stage for the £51 million-rated star.

The arrival of Joao Neves at the Parc des Princes this summer in a €70 million switch from Benfica has pushed Ugarte down the pecking order among the midfield options at manager Luis Enrique’s disposal.

And the 22-cap Uruguay international is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford, with personal terms said to have been agreed some time ago.

So the motivation for PSG to sell is clear, as is the player’s determination to join the 20-time champions of England.

And when it comes to what Erik ten Hag requires in order to take his midfield to the next level, it is obvious why United want Ugarte.

A born ball winner

“When we have the ball, it’s a game,” Ugarte explained of his football philosophy upon signing for PSG last summer. “When we don’t, it’s a fight.”

The Montevideo-born midfielder is the archetypal ball winner. United’s £51 million outlay will not be buying them a defence-splitting passer, a crowd-pleasing dribbler or a silky, socks-around-the-ankles playmaker. It will, however, be ensuring that they are rarely out of possession for long.

Ugarte ranked in the 99th percentile among midfielders in Europe’s five major leagues last season for tackles per 90 minutes, with 4.33. He also ranked in the 97th percentile for interceptions per 90, with 1.97.

The former Sporting CP star is ostensibly being lined up to replace Casemiro. The 32-year-old Brazilian, who was signed two years ago from Real Madrid for £60 million, arrived at Old Trafford as a four-time Champions League winner with a well-earned reputation as one of the finest defensive midfielders of his generation.

But last term Casemiro’s form dipped drastically. Yet in terms of his defensive production, he was still United’s top statistical performer, with 3.73 tackles and 1.44 interceptions per 90 – figures Ugarte significantly outperformed with PSG.

What’s more, Ugarte’s arrival will help Ten Hag realise his full vision for his United side. It was apparent in their 1-0 win over Fulham in the 2023-24 Premier League season’s opening fixture that the Dutch tactician wants the Red Devils to operate an effect high counter-press this season, with Mason Mount deployed at the point of attack to aid this endeavour.

Last term, Ugarte ranked in the 99th percentile among midfielders in Europe’s top five divisions for tackles in the attacking third of the pitch.

Precision passer

With the ball at his feet, Ugarte won’t be threatening Bruno Fernandes’ position as United’s chief creator.

He ranked in just the 25th percentile among midfielders in the continent’s biggest leagues for progressive passes per 90 (3.75), the 14th percentile for shot-creating actions (1.55), the 13th percentile for progressive carries (0.59) and the fifth percentile for touches in the opposition’s penalty area (0.29).

What he does do with the ball, however, is keep it.

On average, Ugarte attempted 58.84 passes per 90 last season, with a completion rate of 90.9 per cent. Of those passes, 28.31 were over a distance of between 15 and 30 yards. Over that range, his passing accuracy was 95.1 per cent, another statistic in which he ranked in the 99th percentile of midfielders.

Making the most of Mainoo

With a specialty in regaining possession when it is lost and an on-ball approach that boils down to a dedication to simplicity, precision and emboldening the more gifted passers on his team, Ugarte has presumably been identified as the ideal midfield partner for Kobbie Mainoo.

The 19-year-old Carrington academy graduate enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023-24 that saw him establish himself as present and future star for both club and country.

One concern about the potential Ugarte-Mainoo midfield axis is that the England international is not a frequent forward passer, either – he attempted just 2.99 progressive passes per 90 last season, ranking him in the 15th percentile among Premier League midfielders.

This is not to suggest that Mainoo does not move the ball forward, though. It is rather the case that he moves United up the pitch via his preternatural ability to dribble through pressure and by savvy off-ball runs to make him a target for forward passes between the lines of the opposition’s midfield and defence.

Ugarte’s signing would allow Mainoo to further lean into these aspects of his game, freeing the youngster of some of the defensive burden he had to carry and the ground he had to cover last term when paired with Casemiro and that Brazilian’s waning mobility.

So while Ugarte’s fee might seem hefty for a player who specialises as a destroyer rather than a creator, it will be money well spent if he can help supercharge Mainoo’s rise to superstardom.

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