It is all change at Manchester United after a disastrous start to the 2024/25 campaign. The Red Devils parted company with Erik ten Hag, with just four wins on the board all season and no European win for over a year. He leaves with the club languishing in 14th in the Premier League, on just 11 points.
The man who seems set to replace Ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot seat is Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim. The 39-year-old will join the 13-time Premier League champions after they activated his £8.3m release clause, with just the finer details to be ironed out.
It is certainly an exciting appointment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his recently-appointed footballing board. Amorim will be no doubt eager to take on the challenge of returning United to their former glory and will reunite with one of his former players, Manuel Ugarte.
Manuel Ugarte’s record under Amorim
Life at Old Trafford has been slow so far for Uruguay international Ugarte. The 23-year-old joined the club from PSG in the summer for around £50.7m including add-ons. However, he was not a player Ten Hag turned to very often.
Surprisingly, despite the money he cost, Ugarte has featured just eight times for the Red Devils. He has started five games so far, although only one of those came in the Premier League, in the 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. In total, the United number 25 has played 438 minutes across competitions, equivalent to 4.8 full 90 minutes.
However, the former Sporting man may have an upturn in fortune in his Red Devils career now Amorim is set to take the reigns. Under his former manager, he has played 85 times across two seasons and was a key part of his midfield as Leões dominated Portuguese football before moving to PSG in 2023 for a fee of around £51.1m.
Stat
Number
Games
85
Minutes
5486
Total number of 90s
60.9
Wins
57
Draws
11
Losses
17
Goals and assists
4
However, it may not just be Ugarte who will benefit from Amorim replacing Ten Hag. There is another player who United signed in the summer that could be a dream addition for the Portuguese manager.
The United signing that Amroim will love
The player in question here is the Red Devils’ new centre-back, Leny Yoro. The 18-year-old Frenchman was signed in July for around £52m, with United beating the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool to his signature.
It was certainly a big coup for the 13-time Premier League champions. Sporting director Dan Ashworth described him as “one of the most exciting young defenders in world football” when the Frenchman first joined the club. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has also highlighted his “world-class potential”.
Indeed, his profile is one that is very desirable in world football today. Standing at 6 foot 3, the Frenchman has a long stride, meaning he can cover lots of ground very quickly. The 18-year-old is exceptional on the ball and reads the game superbly.
As TNT Sports analyst Lewis Mason explained when he first moved to Old Trafford, he is similar to former United defender Raphael Varane. In the analysis, he explained the World Cup winner is “the most suitable comparison” to his countryman Yoro.
The youngster is a player that Amorim would no doubt simply love to have in his side. The Portuguese manager sets his team up in a back three system both in and out of possession. The former Lille man fits the bill to play both central and right centre-back in that system.
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This is due to his large stride pattern, meaning he will not struggle to defend wide spaces which would be needed of him at right centre-back. His ball-playing ability is also more than good enough to play in the middle of a back three, stepping into midfield as Amorim often instructs his central centre-back to do in build-up.
Over the last 365 days in Europe, Yoro averaged a 93.1% pass completion rate, the top 4% of defenders across the big five leagues as per FBref.
He is, in essence, perfect for Amorim’s system. There is no doubting the United number 15’s ability, despite being so young. Under the incoming Red Devils boss, it feels like he could thrive, and take his game to the next level.
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