Manuel Ugarte is about to join Manchester United, giving their midfield a significant boost. A French football expert recently detailed what the Red Devils can expect from him, following his brief stint at Paris Saint-Germain.
According to a recent report from L’Équipe, Ugarte feels his time at PSG hasn’t lived up to his expectations and that he could have had a bigger role. Meanwhile, PSG will likely recover most of the money they spent on him last summer from his transfer from Sporting Lisbon.
Reports suggest that the reigning Ligue 1 champions are set to receive a guaranteed €50 million, with an additional €10 million in add-ons and a 10 percent sell-on clause as part of Ugarte’s move to Manchester United.
CBS Sports’ Jonathan Johnson explained in his latest column for CaughtOffside what type of profile Ugarte has and why he’s leaving PSG, which isn’t because he’s a bad player and more not a fit for manager Luis Enrique.
“This is one of those moves that looks like it should suit all parties – it’s been very clear since the beginning of Luis Enrique’s time at PSG that there’s not too much space for Ugarte or someone of his profile in this PSG side, but, equally, Ugarte has shown that he is a player of substantial quality.
“Much of Ugarte’s best form has come with the Uruguay national team, but we’ve seen fleeting moments of it in a PSG shirt as well, and I think if you require someone who’s a bit of a destroyer, a proper traditional defensive midfielder with the athletic capacity to really get around, then he’s a great option. I think with time he could be a good fit for United as a long-term heir to someone like Casemiro.
“I think Ugarte also has a profile that is very well matched with the Premier League, I think he’ll relish the physical aspect of the English game, and I think he’s ready-made for it in terms of his fitness and playing style. So why are PSG letting him go and might they live to regret it?
I think at the moment, when you look at the midfield under Enrique, with the technical quality of players like new signing Joao Neves, I don’t think they’ll miss Ugarte too much.”
