Manchester United’s Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte had a chastening first term in the Premier League after his £42 million move from Paris Saint-Germain just after the 2024-25 season had started.
He was hit and miss for a team which was more miss, yet he also adapted well to the world’s toughest league in a difficult position, playing well in some games.
Ugarte’s attitude, work rate and determination were all reasons why he was signed for big money by Erik ten Hag. How his successor Ruben Amorim, who he thrived under at Sporting in Lisbon, views him is key.
Ugarte, at 24, remains relatively young. He also played well against West Ham in Saturday’s 2-1 pre-season friendly win in New Jersey.
“I think we did well today, we controlled most of the game and we won,” he told The National afterwards. “We won, which was important, but we keep working, we have a lot to improve. We have more games to play, we are good. I think it is important to have humility.
"We must work day in, day out. I think I did well. We played well in midfield, we controlled the ball, we had the ball, we scored, we recovered.”
Amorim also spoke about Ugarte during his post-match press conference. “The first thing is adaptation to a new team, a new country,” he said. “Sometimes, you just look inside the pitch but, off the pitch, you can have some trouble sometimes.
“He is more adapted and then he needs more confidence, it’s also my job. If you look last year, take Bruno [Fernandes], who is always confident and look at the team, and the performance of the team if he doesn’t perform well.
"We can see today, when they are confident in their play, it seems like everyone can touch the ball and have confidence. It is more a team thing than individual.”
Ugarte said there were mitigating factors behind the club's 15th place league finish - not least that he and several other players needed to adapt to a new league and club.
“Last year we made some changes, we changed our coach, we changed our formation,” Ugarte added. “We got to know the Premier League. This year I am good; I am very excited. It is important to perform well in this club. You must have responsibilities when you play for United. I am very happy – and we must keep going”.
Ugarte's debut season ended in disappointment when he was poor in the Europa League semi-final away leg win at Athletic Club, yet he also made two assists in that very same game in Bilbao.
It was a mild surprise that he didn’t make the starting XI for the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, but form dictated the decision. Two months on, he is happier and ready to go again in a huge season for him and his team.
He is also confident of improving after a season of adjustment.
“Without a doubt,” he said. “I know the rivals, I know the teammates. All of this is important. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. I already know the league, the rivals, which is important.
"So I’m very happy, but we must keep going. We must improve things. We are all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important.”
After United’s first pre-season friendly against Leeds United, Amorim said his team needed more speed in midfield.
“It was the first game of the pre-season,” said Ugarte. “As time goes by, the intensity goes up. I think it is important to mark the rhythm of the game, the intensity.”
He maintains that the atmosphere in the dressing room in Chicago, where United play Bournemouth on Wednesday, with the new players is “very good" and that "all three players who came are very good, good people, good players. It is important that everyone is together in the dressing room and we must keep going”.
Ugarte speaks daily to fellow midfielder Casemiro “about everything, football less, but we talk about everything, life, day to day things”.
He chats with Kobbie Mainoo too. “We talk about younger things, compared to Casemiro, because Casemiro is older. But we all have a good relationship, there is a lot of optimism on the team," he said.
Ugarte also gets on well with new signing Matheus Cunha. “A very good relationship, he speaks perfect Spanish,” he said, smiling. “He speaks a lot too, but in a good way”.
