Man United 'considering' January sale for £44m signing whose work rate has been questioned by Ruben Amorim
Man United are reportedly considering selling one of their players who hasn’t previously been linked with a move away.
Man United are heading into their Monday night game against Bournemouth with a chance to climb into the Champions League places if they win. Ruben Amorim’s focus will be all on the game, and his line up to give his side the best chance to beat the Cherries.
He will likely play Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the two holding midfield roles, as he has done all season long, which isn’t great news for both Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte, who have both struggled to see regular game time.
Even worse for the duo, Man United have been linked to signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who would really damage their chance of regular game time, so the pair could see January exits as a possibility.
Man United ‘considering’ Ugarte exit in January
It is fair to say that Man United haven’t been best impressed with Manuel Ugarte, as the Uruguayan signing has struggled under Ruben Amorim, which is a surprise, because he previously played under Amorim at Sporting CP.
This season, Ugarte has made 10 appearances for United in the Premier League, with the majority coming from the bench. Former Premier League scout Mick Brown believes that Man United will let Ugarte leave to boost their transfer budget rather than keep hold of him.
Brown told Football Insider: “From what I’m told, he’s willing to let Ugarte go to raise some money, and then that money will be spent on trying to strengthen the squad. It’s clear the midfield is going to be their main area of focus; that’s where they want to strengthen, so letting him go means they’ll want to bring in somebody else.
“He’s still young, and not being good enough for Man United doesn’t make you a bad player by any means. If they get a big offer for him, I would expect him to leave.”
Amorim has questioned Ugarte’s work rate
Seeing as Man United are looking to spend big on a midfielder such as Anderson, who could cost around £100m, selling Ugarte would make a lot of sense. He should still command a decent transfer fee, as United paid £44m for him in August 2024, and he is still just 24.
However, it has all gone wrong for Ugarte at Man United, and even manager Amorim has been critical of the Uruguay international. According to the Athletic, Amorim has told Ugarte that his work-rate hasn’t been good enough and that he has gotten ‘too comfortable’.
The Athletic claimed: “Amorim believed Ugarte had gotten comfortable and said he did not recognise him as the same player from their first stint together.”
If Man United were to sell Ugarte in January, they could push to move for Anderson, which would be a very shrewd piece of business by the Red Devils, and it could help boost them to qualify for Champions League football.