Manual Ugarte has been linked with a summer move away from Manchester United, with Juventus and Newcastle United interested in him.
Manuel Ugarte has struggled for regular opportunities at Manchester United, and he needs to move in order to play more often. He is at the peak of his career, and sitting on the bench at Old Trafford will not benefit him.
Ugarte has started just seven league games for Manchester United this season, and his numbers in the league have been quite underwhelming.
- Pass accuracy: 85%
- Tackles per game: 2
- Interceptions per game: 0.9
- Balls recovered per game: 2.4
- Duels won per game: 3.4
He has been linked with multiple clubs in recent months, and it appears that Newcastle United are on him. As per Football Insider, they will face competition from clubs like Juventus. The Italian club is ahead of Newcastle in the race right now, and it remains to be seen whether Newcastle can get the deal done.
Newcastle United could use Manuel Ugarte
They need more physicality and defensive cover in the middle of the park. They have been overly dependent on Sandro Tonali, and the €50m South American could be the ideal backup option to the Italian. Ugarte has previously impressed with Sporting CP, and he could be a valuable addition for Newcastle if he manages to recapture that form.
However, the move might not be ideal for the Manchester United midfielder. He is unlikely to play ahead of Tonali, and it would be quite surprising if Newcastle decided to start with two defensive midfielders. The move to Italy could be more attractive for him, especially if Juventus is willing to provide him with regular opportunities.
Ugarte needs a move
The move to Manchester United has not worked out for the midfielder, and both parties will want to go their separate ways. Manchester United need to bring in a defensive midfielder to replace Casemiro at the end of the season, and selling Ugarte will provide the necessary funds.
Newcastle are currently 13th in the league table and they have conceded 45 goals in 31 league matches. They will need to improve defensively if they are serious about regularly competing in Europe. Adding a quality defensive midfielder could make a big difference. It remains to be seen whether they can convince the Manchester United midfielder to join the club. They will need to provide him with a defined role in the team and ample first-team minutes.
