After only the first two rounds in the 2024-2025 Premier League, dreams of a good new start under Erik ten Hag were quickly shattered. Man United received their first defeat of the season as a guest at Brighton. For The Red Devils fans, this was a somewhat unlucky match for MU when they collapsed in the 90+5 minute and were denied a goal due to an offside error by Joshua Zirkzee.
However, that excuse cannot cover up the fact that the " Red Devils " still encounter the same problems as last season. Opta Analyst described that while the offense was deadlocked, the defense also had a disappointing day when the positions did not have the necessary communication. As usual, Casemiro is still the weakest link, always slower and losing in most dispute situations on the field.
“MU's first loss was a mistake in the defense system. Then, on the second conceding goal, Casemiro did not follow the opposing player at the far post to return to the middle area. The Brazilian midfielder's lack of concentration caused the away team to lose against Brighton" - commented Gary Neville.
Not only was he a factor in the loss, Casemiro's decline in form also left Kobbie Mainoo exhausted, having to fill the void the senior could not take on. Last season, MU's midfield was often drilled by opponents when the gap between the midfield and defense was quite large.
This is also the reason why Ten Hag's army often concedes goals from face-to-face situations. According to Opta Analyst, the necessary solution to overcome the gap in the Old Trafford team's midfield right now is none other than Manuel Ugarte.
According to statistics, Ugarte has an average of 4.6 tackles/90 minutes, with 2.7 successful attempts - the highest among players who play at least 900 minutes. In addition, the Uruguayan midfielder also has an average of 8.4 ball wins and 1.9 successful interceptions per 90 minutes. Before joining Paris Saint-Germain, Ugarte's best season at Sporting Lisbon recorded 57 ball wins, an average of 4.64 times/90 minutes. The 23-year-old midfielder also has an average of more than 8 ball recoveries/90 minutes (the highest in the Portuguese national championship).
In addition to adding steel to the midfield, Manuel Ugarte often tends to make quick counter-attack passes immediately after successfully winning the ball. This not only compensates for the weaknesses in the current MU midfield, it also fits the playing style of Erik ten Hag. Besides, owning a midfielder like Ugarte also helps Man United limit shots from the edge of the penalty area, which is a "dead spot" that causes the defense to receive a record number of goals.
With inherent qualities, Manuel Ugarte promises to be the perfect partner with Kobbie Mainoo in midfield. Not only that, the Uruguayan midfielder is also the maximum support solution for the aging Casemiro. Despite his decline in performance, experience and class still help the 32-year-old midfielder play well when appearing on the field in many matches.
According to The Athletic, Manuel Ugarte is currently training privately and is not part of Luis Enrique's plans at PSG. The Spanish strategist prioritizes using technically inclined midfielders to impose play and control the ball more.
However, PSG and Man United have still not found a common voice in this deal. The French team wants to make a profit from selling Ugarte and will only agree to release him if they receive at least 59 million Euros. Meanwhile, the Old Trafford team is still persistent with this deal and is only willing to put 50 million Euros on the negotiating table.
