Ruben Amorim will have some interesting options ahead of Manchester United’s post-Christmas fixtures.
The Red Devils lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in their last game before Christmas. Bruno Fernandes suffered a hamstring injury in this match and will miss the match against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
United certainly lack numbers in the center of the park. Fernandes is not the only midfielder to miss out, with a question mark over Koby Mainu’s availability against the Magpies. Casemiro is expected to return from suspension and is expected to start.
It is unclear at this stage who his partner will be, but there is no guarantee that it will be Manuel Ugarte.
Why Ugarte is struggling at Manchester United
Uruguay international Ugarte has far from performed well at Old Trafford since his £50m move from Paris Saint-Germain. His last seven Premier League starts have all ended in defeats against United, including Sunday’s win at Villa Park.
It may have been a show that journalist Samuel Luckhurst described in harsh words as “scandalous”, but it was a poor performance.
He has so far struggled to find a place in the team, appearing in a total of 57 games but averaging just 36 for the full 90 minutes. During that time, the midfielder had two goals and six assists.
It remains to be seen what Ugarte will bring to United’s side in possession. It is certainly one of the weakest areas of his game and is certainly something Amorim needs in his pivot to achieve a better central progression.
In fact, his numbers in the Premier League last season showed those limits. For example, he averages 3.08 progressive passes and 0.81 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 18th and 23rd percentiles, the lowest for midfielders.
Ugarte doesn’t seem to be at the level needed in this United team, but there may be a young player ready to take his position in the coming years.
Manchester United’s in-house Ugarte replacement
There are several options in the Red Devils’ academy who could replace United’s number 25 in the long term. One of them, Jack Fletcher, made his first-team debut last weekend, and Sekou Kone is another player who could break out.
However, another long-term option for Amorim could be 17-year-old Cristian Orozco. The young midfielder is expected to sign for United from Colombian side Fortaleza next summer for an estimated transfer fee of £740,000.
This deal is definitely an investment in the future for United. The Colombia Under-17 international is yet to make his first-team debut, but he has already earned a huge reputation, with one analyst describing him as something of a “disruptor” in midfield.
Another person who has been impressed by Orozco’s short career thus far is football scout Ben Mattinson. He described the youngster as “decent on the ball” and “cool under pressure”.
This is definitely a positive considering Ugarte’s limited possession. Indeed, if the teenager is to replace him in the future, it’s good to know that he has the fundamentals to be a strong midfielder in possession.
In fact, you would get that impression if you look at some of his numbers from tournament soccer with the Colombia U17 team. At the U17 CONMEBOL Championship, he averaged an 87.4% pass completion rate per 90 minutes, and at the U17 World Cup, he averaged 0.8 successful dribbles.
Orozco’s main statistics in international tournaments | ||
|---|---|---|
State (per 90) | Conmebol | U17 World Cup |
An opportunity has arisen | 0.8 | 0.3 |
Dribbling completed | 0.2 | 0.8 |
Pass accuracy | 87.4% | 78.3% |
tackles and interceptions | 3.4 | 3 |
won an aerial battle | 0.6 | 1 |
Sofa score statistics | ||
Of course, it will be some time before the young midfielder moves to Old Trafford. But he looks like he has all the tools to get to the top. United have struggled to find depth in midfield, but he certainly has potential.
Whatever the future holds for Ugarte, Orozco could be the player to banish him from the team and ultimately end his United career.
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