Man Utd have already sold Casemiro heir who’s worth 168x less than Ugarte - soccerdelights.com
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Man Utd have already sold Casemiro heir who’s worth 168x less than Ugarte

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Man Utd have already sold Casemiro heir who’s worth 168x less than Ugarte

The veteran Brazilian – who had been touted for a move to Saudi Arabia over the summer – had squandered possession needlessly for Liverpool’s opener, before then seeing his pocket picked as the away side nabbed a second. He was duly hooked at half-time.

With new signing Manuel Ugarte paraded on the pitch ahead of that 3-0 defeat, it looked to be a changing of the guard for Erik ten Hag’s side, with the Uruguayan acquired on deadline day with the aim of resolving United’s midfield woes.

On the early evidence, however, the Red Devils may well have merely switched one problematic midfielder for another in that deep-lying role, with the former Paris Saint-Germain man having made a shaky start to life in Manchester.

Manuel Ugarte’s start at Man Utd

Having been given the nod against FC Twente and Barnsley, Ugarte’s first real test came on his first Premier League start against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, with the 23-year-old lining up alongside Kobbie Mainoo for the visit of the Lilywhites.

It is, of course, still early days, yet the one-time Sporting CP star appears to have simply provided more chaos than any kind of control in the centre of the park, having notably failed to prevent Micky van de Ven’s surging run, while also making three fouls on the day.

As analyst Alex Keble wrote upon the midfielder’s arrival at the club, the warning signs were there: ‘Ugarte is a classic destroyer, not a Rodri-like progressive ball-player. He is an up-and-at-them tackler, and nothing like Erik ten Hag’s initial target last summer, Frenkie de Jong…

Ugarte’s 2023/24 Ligue 1 stats

25 games (21 starts)

0 goals

2 assists

1 big chance created

0.6 key passes*

91% pass accuracy*

1.6 interceptions*

3.9 tackles*

7.2 balls recovered*

53% total duels*

7.4x possession lost*

Stats via Sofascore (* – per game)

‘…By signing Ugarte, Ten Hag is doubling down on quick transitions, on fast and direct football. His success at Old Trafford could be defined by that decision, which means the signing of Ugarte is a crucial one.’

If Ten Hag is to be ‘defined by that decision’, then on the early evidence it could prove to be his undoing, with it perhaps becoming clear why Luis Enrique and co were so willing to offload him from the Parc des Princes this summer.

The hope will be that Ugarte can find his groove sooner rather than later, although questions will be asked as to whether United should have looked elsewhere to find Casemiro’s successor, or indeed kept hold of one potential rising star…

Man Utd sold Casemiro’s dream successor

Alongside a raft of senior departures – including the likes of Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial – the summer window also saw United cash in on a handful of youth assets, with Willy Kambwala, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez all moving on to pastures new.

In the case of all three of those – including Fernandez, who has notably impressed at Benfica – the Red Devils wisely included a buyback option as part of their moves elsewhere, with the same also true of promising defensive midfielder, Maxi Oyedele.

A relative unknown to most of a United persuasion, the England-born, Poland youth international failed to make a senior appearance for United prior to leaving for Legia Warsaw back in August, having only enjoyed minimal experience on loan at the likes of Altrincham and Forest Green Rovers.

Just 100 minutes into life in the Ekstraklasa and the 19-year-old has already been awarded a senior call-up by the Polish set-up, with talent scout Jacek Kulig stating that the nation “hasn’t had a DM with such potential and profile in years”.

That ‘potential’ was notably on show during pre-season under Ten Hag’s watch, with Oyedele awarded a 7/10 match rating by MEN’s Samuel Luckhurst for his performance against Rangers back in July, having impressively surged forward before teeing up Joe Hugill to fire home in the second half.

Likened to Arsenal’s Thomas Partey as an industrious yet composed operator in the centre of the park by Kulig, the teenager did impress last time out against Gornik, winning five of his seven total duels and enjoying an 88% pass accuracy rate, while also providing one key pass and completing four tackles from his deep-lying midfield berth, as per Sofascore.

Also lauded as a player with “great leadership qualities” despite his age by Altrincham boss Phil Parkinson during that 2023 loan stint, the rising star may well have been a valuable asset for Ten Hag this season.

Thankfully the club do have the presence of that buyback clause, albeit they did only cash in on the academy graduate for a ‘fee contingent based on appearances’, as per the Athletic.

According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is currently worth just £250k, a figure 168 times less than the initial £42m that was spent on Ugarte.

Alas, it is Toby Collyer whom Ten Hag has given the chance to this season to follow in Mainoo’s footsteps, yet with Oyedele more of an out-an-out defensive midfielder, perhaps he would have been a wiser choice as Casemiro’s long-term successor.

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BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Arnold is disappointed by his friend’s choice to join Manchester United instead of Liverpool . The Liverpool star shared his feelings, saying, “I really thought we’d be thriving together at Anfield! We’ve been successful and winning trophies, so I thought it would be an obvious decision.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Arnold is disappointed by his friend’s choice to join Manchester United instead of Liverpool . The Liverpool star shared his feelings, saying, “I really thought we’d be thriving together at Anfield! We’ve been successful and winning trophies, so I thought it would be an obvious decision.”

 

Phil Foden, a key player for Manchester City and an integral part of the club’s success under Pep Guardiola, has shared his disappointment regarding his close friend Jarrad Branthwaite’s decision to sign with Manchester United.

Foden and Branthwaite have a strong bond, having played together for England’s national team, and Foden’s reaction reflects both personal frustration and the wider implications of the intense rivalry between Manchester’s two major clubs.

In an open interview, Foden revealed that he personally tried to persuade Branthwaite to join Manchester City, a club currently dominating both English and European football.

Foden believed it was an obvious choice for his friend to move to the Etihad, given City’s ongoing success. “I told him to come to City. We’ve been winning everything, so it seemed like an easy decision,” Foden explained.

To Foden’s disappointment, Branthwaite chose Manchester United instead, a club that has struggled in recent years to reclaim its former dominance. United’s inconsistent performances and lack of trophies have stood in contrast to City’s continued triumphs under Guardiola, making Branthwaite’s decision even more surprising to many.

Despite Foden’s efforts, Branthwaite opted to join United, believing in their long-term rebuilding project and the opportunity to be part of a squad aiming for resurgence.

Foden expressed his frustration, particularly about the missed opportunity to play alongside Branthwaite at City. “Playing with him at City would have been amazing,” he said. Foden’s comments illustrate the disappointment of a player who, having experienced great success with his club, felt Branthwaite’s decision represented a missed chance for the defender to advance his career with a winning team.

The rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United is longstanding, and in recent years, City has become the dominant force in English football, winning numerous titles under Guardiola. Meanwhile, United has struggled with managerial instability and inconsistent performances since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Despite Anold frustration, he acknowledged that his friendship with Branthwaite remains strong. While he respects Branthwaite’s decision, he hinted at the challenges that come with playing for a club like United, where high expectations often clash with underwhelming results.

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BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Arnold is disappointed by his friend’s choice to join Manchester United instead of Liverpool . The Liverpool star shared his feelings, saying, “I really thought we’d be thriving together at Anfield! We’ve been successful and winning trophies, so I thought it would be an obvious decision.”

Published

on

BREAKING NEWS: Alexander Arnold is disappointed by his friend’s choice to join Manchester United instead of Liverpool . The Liverpool star shared his feelings, saying, “I really thought we’d be thriving together at Anfield! We’ve been successful and winning trophies, so I thought it would be an obvious decision.”

 

Phil Foden, a key player for Manchester City and an integral part of the club’s success under Pep Guardiola, has shared his disappointment regarding his close friend Jarrad Branthwaite’s decision to sign with Manchester United.

Foden and Branthwaite have a strong bond, having played together for England’s national team, and Foden’s reaction reflects both personal frustration and the wider implications of the intense rivalry between Manchester’s two major clubs.

In an open interview, Foden revealed that he personally tried to persuade Branthwaite to join Manchester City, a club currently dominating both English and European football.

Foden believed it was an obvious choice for his friend to move to the Etihad, given City’s ongoing success. “I told him to come to City. We’ve been winning everything, so it seemed like an easy decision,” Foden explained.

To Foden’s disappointment, Branthwaite chose Manchester United instead, a club that has struggled in recent years to reclaim its former dominance. United’s inconsistent performances and lack of trophies have stood in contrast to City’s continued triumphs under Guardiola, making Branthwaite’s decision even more surprising to many.

Despite Foden’s efforts, Branthwaite opted to join United, believing in their long-term rebuilding project and the opportunity to be part of a squad aiming for resurgence.

Foden expressed his frustration, particularly about the missed opportunity to play alongside Branthwaite at City. “Playing with him at City would have been amazing,” he said. Foden’s comments illustrate the disappointment of a player who, having experienced great success with his club, felt Branthwaite’s decision represented a missed chance for the defender to advance his career with a winning team.

The rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United is longstanding, and in recent years, City has become the dominant force in English football, winning numerous titles under Guardiola. Meanwhile, United has struggled with managerial instability and inconsistent performances since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Despite Anold frustration, he acknowledged that his friendship with Branthwaite remains strong. While he respects Branthwaite’s decision, he hinted at the challenges that come with playing for a club like United, where high expectations often clash with underwhelming results.

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BREAKING: Manchester United have finally decided to part ways with Erik Ten Hag, decision taken by the board this morning to replace Him with Zidane

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BREAKING: Manchester United have finally decided to part ways with Erik Ten Hag, decision taken by the board this morning to replace Him with Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has one signing in mind if he takes over at Man Utd with the former Real Madrid boss now ‘open’ to succeeding Erik ten Hag, according to reports.

The Red Devils have made their worst start to a Premier League season this term with Ten Hag’s side earning just eight points from a possible 21 in their first seven matches this term.

Man Utd, who have scored just five goals in the Premier League this campaign. are currently floundering in 14th and Ten Hag is now under pressure from media, fans and the board to turn around results.

Ten Hag is expected to be in charge of the Red Devils’ first match back after the international break against Brentford amid speculation the Man Utd board could try and keep him in position until closer to January.

Speaking ahead of the Red Devils’ executive committee’s pre-planned monthly meeting last Tuesday, Ten Hag said: “We always talk, every week. I would say every day we talk so, yeah, I expect I will speak with them.”

Pushed on them being in the bottom of half after drawing 0-0 against Aston Villa, Ten Hag replied: “I think you said it very good – it is external noise.

“Internal we are disappointed and we know we need to do better, especially we need to score more because in this moment after this block of games that’s the area we’re really short.

“All the other areas I think we are doing really well. We have four clean sheets so that says a lot about the defending and the organisation. Also now the defending of defensive transitions we are doing really well, so we are really improving on that point.

“Our build-up play is good – we are calm, composed. We’re creating the chances apart from today.

“I think today we should have created more, but that area in the box of the opponent we have to be more ruthless, more clinical, more killing and we have to work on this.”

There have been rumours of numerous managers being in line to replace Ten Hag if he is sacked with Max Allegri, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel, Eddie Howe and Thomas Frank among the names linked.

Former Real Madrid boss Zidane is another manager reportedly on the Red Devils’ radar and reports in Spain claim that he ‘would be open to the possibility of landing at Old Trafford’.

And Zidane ‘already has a priority target in mind’ for the January transfer window with the Frenchman demanding Barcelona defender Jules Kounde as his first signing.

The France international has ‘aroused the interest of Zidane’ and ‘would be fundamental to strengthen a defence that has shown serious weaknesses in recent months’.

The report adds:

‘It is no secret that Zidane deeply admires his compatriot, and believes that his incorporation could give the English team a leap in quality.

‘However, FC Barcelona are not willing to let one of their most important players go. The Catalan club considers Koundé to be untransferable, and the player seems to be fully committed to the Barça project.’

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