After struggling to get going at Paris Saint-Germain, Manuel Ugarte made the move to Manchester United in the summer of 2024 in the hopes of reviving his career. While he was hoping for a prominent role and the Red Devils also had massive expectations from the Uruguayan international, his move to Old Trafford hasn’t really worked out.
While the 24-year-old defensive midfielder had a decent role in the team during his debut campaign, he failed to make a mark and has since gone down the pecking order. He has only been involved in 23 matches this term and has racked up fewer than 1,000 minutes.
Given his current situation, countryman Gus Poyet feels the upcoming transfer window could have a massive impact on his future. Not only has he advised him to leave the Red Devils, but he also believes not joining Chelsea was a massive mistake by the Sporting CP star.
While speaking on GOAL, the 58-year-old said, “Yeah, and it affected me a lot because he’s from Uruguay and before he went to Paris Saint-Germain, I wanted him to come to Chelsea. When they started the rumours, Chelsea, big Chelsea, you know you want to come, make a decision, come to Chelsea. I don’t know him, so I couldn’t call him! And he went to Paris Saint-Germain and I was a little bit upset because I thought it was perfect at that time for Chelsea. But after that, he kind of didn’t kick on. Paris Saint-Germain and now Man United.
“He needs to find the right club. I think he’s a top player. I think he’s a top central midfielder. I think he can cover the pitch well. He can cover spaces. He can defend well. He can play, start the options. But he needs to find the team.
“He needs to find, I would say, the identity of a club to be able to play every week because he even lost his main position at the national team because in the national team, everybody was playing and was thinking Ugarte, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, [Fede] Valverde. And then the national team is playing with two and a number 10 off the front. And that’s why he’s not playing. So, yes, it’s a big summer for Ugarte and I hope he makes a good decision for him and for his family.”
The Red Devils are set to revamp their midfield in the summer. Casemiro is leaving, and they will most likely look to cash in on Ugarte. The former Chelsea star Poyet believes he should look to end his stint at Old Trafford and get his career back on track with a move away.
The 58-year-old even highlighted the fact that Ugarte had the chance to join Chelsea before he made the move to Manchester United. After making a name for himself at Sporting CP, the Blues were keen on his signature, but he opted to go ahead with PSG instead.
Poyet feels the decision to snub Chelsea wasn’t a wise one. He wanted to see his countrymen play for his former club. While things haven’t worked out for him over the last few seasons, the Uruguayan manager hopes he makes the right decision this time around.
