Manchester United hit their nadir last season, but Ruben Amorim is a stoic sort and has knuckled down and made tentative progress with the Premier League giants.
Maybe the Portuguese tactician was a little too frank during interviews, but at least he understands where the cracks lie for the Old Trafford side, who finished 15th in the league and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
There have been positives throughout the Premier League Summer Series in America, for sure, but the Red Devils still have improvements to be made, irrespective of who might be welcomed to the fold.
Saying that, the recent draw against Everton corroborated Amorim’s desire for a new midfielder, with Manuel Ugarte flattering to deceive.
Why Man Utd need to replace Manuel Ugarte
Ugarte, 24, joined Man United from Paris Saint-Germain last summer in a deal rising to £50.5m. Last season, he left much to be desired, but did feature 45 times across all competitions, scoring twice and laying on six assists.
Man United showed some promise against the Toffees, but Vitalii Mykolenko dispossessed Ugarte in in the build-up to Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half goal, leading Bruno Fernandes to claim that his team “looked a bit lazy” at times.
Much has been made of United’s need for a focal frontman, but with Casemiro getting on, a secure and confident midfield anchor is equally as crucial to the success of the project.
That’s why INEOS are weighing up a move for Atalanta’s Ederson. As per TEAMtalk, the Brazilian could be available for around £52m this summer, which makes him the most expensive man on United’s midfield shortlist.
But there’s a reason for that. Man United have a ‘long-standing interest’ in Ederson, and if it proves financially viable, he could complete a midfield that needs reinforcing.
Why Man Utd want to sign Ederson
Ederson is a 26-year-old midfielder who has established himself as one of the best in the business over in Italy. Across 139 appearances in all competitions, he has scored 13 goals and supplied four assists.
Hailed as a “machine” of a midfielder by reporter Carlo Garganese, this is exactly the kind of hardy, dynamic player that Amorim needs to welcome to his squad, should he wish to return to European competition and challenge for silverware at the Old Trafford helm.
Instrumental in winning the Europa League in 2023, Ederson has the strength, self-belief and roundedness to succeed under Amorim’s wing in the Premier League, with the right balance in his performances to nestle into the United centre, acting as a tough-tackling six but also a progressive force.
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League Stats 24/25 – Ederson vs Manuel Ugarte |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per game) |
Ederson |
Ugarte |
|
Matches (starts) |
37 (32) |
29 (22) |
|
Goals |
4 |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
2 |
|
Touches* |
65.9 |
43.2 |
|
Pass completion |
87% |
89% |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
3 |
|
Key passes* |
1.1 |
0.3 |
|
Dribbles* |
0.6 |
0.6 |
|
Ball recoveries* |
5.0 |
4.2 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
2.3 |
3.6 |
|
Duels won* |
4.9 (56%) |
5.0 (53%) |
|
Data via Sofascore |
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On the surface level, it doesn’t look like Ugarte did all that badly across his first Premier League campaign, but he’s susceptible to a poor error of lapse of focus, with one Man United content creator online even saying he “is frightened to death of passing forward.”
No such problem for Ederson, who ranked among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Though Amorim and INEOS will continue to push ahead with a deal for a new number nine, this one could prove to be equally important.
Described by Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina to be “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world”, Man United might just hit the jackpot if they push ahead and complete their midfield with his many-faceted player.
