Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag needs to make a number of changes to the team this summer.
The Dutchman has a difficult task, almost quite similar to his first summer in charge, when wholesale changes appeared to be required.
There is only so much that can be done in one summer, as Ineos supremo Sir Jim Ratcliffe alluded to in his recent interview. This summer is just the start, another fresh start.
While some of Erik ten Hag’s signings already need replacing, like Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, others are at Old Trafford for the long haul.
Manchester United want Manuel Ugarte
One of the most interesting players linked with a move to Manchester United in the last week is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Valued at 60 million Euros (£51m), Manuel Ugarte could be prised away from PSG, with ESPN reporting interest from the Red Devils.
Ugarte, 23, is a tenacious midfielder who typifies the qualities Erik ten Hag hailed when he signed fellow South American star Lisandro Martinez in 2022.
Ten Hag used the word ‘grinta’ to describe the attributes Martinez would bring to the team, which also fit Ugarte’s style perfectly.
The manager explained: “I think it’s important, yeah. I think the Premier League is high intensity, lots of challenges. We need such players. I know from South Americans… I call it grinta.
“Controlled, aggressive. You need that in your game and with him we have such a player.”
Ugarte can bring what United need
Ugarte is a dynamo in front of the defence, and plays with an energy to match Martinez’s full-on approach which has won so much love from the fans.
This saw Ugarte pick up 11 bookings during his final league season at Sporting.
Despite this ‘aggression’, it is ‘controlled’ as Ten Hag demands, with Ugarte only ever picking up one straight red card in his career.
Sporting boss Amorim told Record he regarded Ugarte as a ‘very important player’, after he stepped up to succeed Joao Palhinha.
They could not hang onto him, with PSG calling, and if the French side are silly enough to let him go, Ugarte could be an excellent fit at United.