Ex-Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag didn’t prefer Manuel Ugarte’s signing | OneFootball

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reportedly wasn’t too keen on signing Manuel Ugarte.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge of United following Ten Hag’s sacking saw the Red Devils thrash Leicester City 5-2 in the Carabao Cup.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes made the headlines by scoring two goals each. However, United’s third starting midfielder, Ugarte, was equally impressive on the night.

It was the Uruguayan midfielder’s intensity and frequent ball recoveries that handed Casemiro freedom to make forward runs into the final third.

The resilient and energetic performance from the 23-year-old further raised question marks on Ten Hag’s decision making, as the Dutch coach showed very little faith in his summer signing.

Ugarte started on the bench in four of the ex-Ajax man’s final five fixtures as United gaffer. His only start in that period came against Fenerbahce in the Europa League, where he was named man of the match.

It seems the £50.75m signing from Paris Saint-Germain was destined to fail under Ten Hag, as he wasn’t the ex-United manager’s preferred choice, as per reports.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag wanted to retain the services of Sofyan Amrabat on the back of an underwhelming loan spell during the 2023/24 campaign.

United had an option to sign the Fiorentina star on a permanent basis for an initial €25m fee. The Mancunians opted against exercising the option and the Moroccan midfielder moved to Fenerbahce.

Burnley’s Sander Berge was also on Ten Hag’s radar. However, the Norwegian eventually ended up joining Fulham in a deal worth £25m.

The MEN report adds: “United sources stressed at the time of Ugarte’s arrival that Ten Hag and the football leadership team were aligned on his signing. Agency sources familiar with the deal’s development say Ugarte was more of a club signing.”

Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming the club’s hierarchy were hopeful Ugarte would be integrated quickly into the team and were left unimpressed with Ten Hag’s reluctance to use his talents despite glaring issues in his midfield.