Latest news with #Ugarte
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
'Believe In What He Wants': Manchester United Players Back Manager Ruben Amorim
Last Updated: Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last season under Ruben Amorim. Despite poor results, players like Ugarte, Mount, and de Ligt remain motivated. Finishing 15th in the Premier League was far from satisfactory for Manchester United last season, but the players still trust manager Ruben Amorim, according to midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Amorim took over in November last year but managed only seven wins in 27 league matches, resulting in United's worst-ever Premier League finish. Additionally, they failed to secure a Champions League spot after losing the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. 'We have to improve things," Ugarte was quoted as saying by British media. 'We are all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important," added the Uruguayan, who also played under Amorim at Sporting. 'Last year we made some changes, we changed our coach, we changed our formation. 'You have to have responsibilities when you play for United. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. I already know the league, the rivals, which is important." '"We're all in this together, and I think this period now is so important for us to spend together to train. But yeah, personally, I'm feeling really good. I feel like I'm in a really good place at the moment," Mount said. Adding: 'I'm so excited for the start of the season." De Ligt said: 'Obviously, we saw in the Premier League last season how fit every team is, so that's a really big aspect. 'But also, we have a lot of time now to train tactically, because last season we had the Europa Leage and a lot of games, so it was more difficult for the manager to implement his idea. They're both really important, and I'm sure, and I'm seeing already, we've made some steps in both aspects, so hopefully we can keep improving that," he added. What's Next For Manchester United? United will play two pre-season matches in the U.S., facing Bournemouth in Chicago on Wednesday and Everton in Atlanta on Sunday, before returning home to play Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 9. They begin the new Premier League season against Arsenal on August 17. (With inputs from Agencies) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Manuel Ugarte makes new Man Utd vow after struggling since £50m transfer arrival
Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte struggled after his £50million arrival from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but he's determined his second Manchester United season will be a better one Manuel Ugarte has vowed to show he is worth the £50million fee Manchester United paid for him. Ugarte, signed from Paris St Germain a year ago, endured a tough first season as United ended in 15th place – their worst Premier League finish. The Uruguay star failed to deliver on his huge transfer fee and was an unused sub for United's last two games of the season – including the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. But Ugarte impressed in United's 2-1 win over West Ham in the opening game of their US tour at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. The 24-year-old pressed high, regularly won back possession and went on a fine run to set Amad up for a goal that was ultimately ruled out for offside. It was a positive start to pre-season for Ugarte, one which suggests he could start in midfield for United in their season opener at home to Arsenal on August 17. Asked if he will start the new season with more confidence, Ugarte said: 'Without a doubt. I know the rivals, I know the team-mates [better]. All of this is important. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. 'I already know the league, the rivals, which is important. So I'm very happy, but we have to keep going. 'Last year we made some changes. We changed our coach, we changed our formation. We got to know the Premier League. 'This year I'm good, I'm very excited. It's important to perform well with United. You have to have responsibilities when you play for United. I'm very happy and we have to keep going. 'We're very optimistic because we all work together. We try to be humble day by day, game by game and we will see this season. "Without a doubt, we have to improve things. We're all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important.' Ugarte said United's new signings – Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and young defender Diego Leon – had settled in and – in Cunha and Mbeumo - will improve the team with their proven quality in the Premier League. 'All three players who came are very good people and good players,' said Ugarte. 'It's important that everyone is together in the dressing room and we have to keep going. 'We won [against West Ham], which was important, but we keep working, because we have a lot to improve. We have more games to play, but I think it's important to have humility. 'We have to work day-in, day-out. We played well in midfield, we controlled the ball, we had the ball, we scored and we recovered well. We all have a good relationship, there is a lot of optimism in the team.'
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ugarte goes public with British influencer & Mbappe's ex after months of rumours
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Manuel Ugarte has revealed his relationship with British influencer Georgia May Heath. Ugarte, 24, confirmed months of public speculation when he posted a snap of the holidaying duo to his social media. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 The couple appeared on Ugarte's instagram, where he tagged the influencer next to a heart emoji Credit: 7 The 27-year-old has developed a following for her fashion content Credit: instagram @georgiamayheath 7 She has over 280k followers between Instagram and TikTok Credit: instagram @georgiamayheath He tagged May Heath alongside a heart emoji in the caption of an image of the pair enjoying their time on a yacht while holidaying in Spain. May Heath is a fashion and beauty influencer, boasting almost 230,000 Instagram followers and over 50,000 followers on TikTok. The 27-year-old was previously involved with French superstar Kylian Mbappe. The pair were seen having dinner together in Greece in 2021, and she was reported to be holidaying with the now-Real Madrid man as recently as January 2024. READ MORE ON MAN UTD BACK TO ROO IN THE STUDIO Wayne Rooney lands £800,000 deal to be Match of the Day pundit But rumours began swirling in April that the influencer - who splits her time between the UK and Australia - had moved on to the Frenchman's ex-PSG team-mate Ugarte. Eagle-eyed fans had previously noticed that the background to some of May Heath's photos resembled those seen in Ugarte's snaps from home. Those Instagram sleuths seem to have been proven right with Ugarte's announcement. There appears to be no bad blood between Ugarte and his ex-team-mate, with Mbappe's account liking the couple's post on Instagram. 7 Speculation began in relation to this picture posted by the influencer 7 The background appears to show that the photo was taken from Ugarte's flat JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Manchester United fans will hope the relationship will help the Uruguayan move on from a lacklustre season. Mbappe scissor kick sees ten-man Spaniards win bonkers clash with THREE stoppage time goals Ugarte arrived from PSG last summer for a fee of around £43m. His arrival did not provide the impact that fans had hoped for, however, with Ruben Amorim's men slumping to a 15th place finish in the Premier League. Manchester United might be poised to raid PSG once again for a midfield partner for Ugarte in Spanish all-rounder Fabian Ruiz. 7
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ugarte goes public with British influencer & Mbappe's ex after months of rumours
MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Manuel Ugarte has revealed his relationship with British influencer Georgia May Heath. Advertisement 7 The couple appeared on Ugarte's instagram, where he tagged the influencer next to a heart emoji Credit: 7 The 27-year-old has developed a following for her fashion content Credit: instagram @georgiamayheath 7 She has over 280k followers between Instagram and TikTok Credit: instagram @georgiamayheath He tagged May Heath alongside a heart emoji in the caption of an image of the pair enjoying their time on a yacht while holidaying in Spain. May Heath is a fashion and beauty influencer, boasting almost 230,000 Instagram followers and over 50,000 followers on TikTok. The 27-year-old was previously involved with French superstar The pair were seen having dinner together in Greece in 2021, and she was reported to be holidaying with the now-Real Madrid man as recently as January 2024. Advertisement READ MORE ON MAN UTD But Eagle-eyed fans had previously noticed that the background to some of May Heath's photos resembled those seen in Ugarte's snaps from home. Those Instagram sleuths seem to have been proven right with Ugarte's announcement. There appears to be no bad blood between Ugarte and his ex-team-mate, with Mbappe's account liking the couple's post on Instagram. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive 7 Speculation began in relation to this picture posted by the influencer 7 The background appears to show that the photo was taken from Ugarte's flat JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Advertisement Mbappe scissor kick sees ten-man Spaniards win bonkers clash with THREE stoppage time goals Ugarte arrived from PSG last summer for a fee of around £43m. His arrival did not provide the impact that fans had hoped for, however, with Manchester United might be poised to raid PSG once again for a midfield partner for Ugarte in Spanish all-rounder 7 Advertisement 7
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Shopping for Amorim and Man Utd: Baleba, Agoume and other options to solve a midfield muddle
Manchester United require a squad rebuild. (Again.) The Athletic would like to offer some help. (Again.) Welcome to another edition of 'Shopping for Amorim', where we look into areas that United's head coach may look to strengthen before the upcoming 2025-26 season. Part one of this series looked at strikers. Part two will go over central midfielders. Run. And tackle. A lot. Amorim's 3-4-3 system at Sporting CP saw him prefer two athletic players to work as box-to-box midfielders. Early build-up phases in games were primarily handled by the back three and wing-backs, meaning Amorim's central midfielders' most notable contributions occurred when the team was out of possession. Advertisement Things altered somewhat in 2023 following the arrival of Morten Hjulmand, a clever midfielder with good passing accuracy over longer distances, but Amorim, on the whole, enjoys shin-kickers and ground-eaters to play in the midfield pivot; midfielders who possess an uncanny ability to turn moments of defence into attacking dominance with a smart foul and a smarter switch pass. The head coach has cited Ugarte's improvement in possession since their time together in Portugal but has repeatedly substituted the Uruguayan when United were in search of a goal. Ugarte's strengths as a defensive midfielder are most prominent when his team are retreating. However, Amorim's decision to leave Ugarte on the bench for the Europa League final suggests the 24-year-old will be more of a special-use player for the upcoming season. Ugarte's tenacity when tackling and chasing after the ball are useful when United are trying to put out a fire, yet Amorim may now want someone who can spot the metaphorical smoke and stop problems before they become truly hazardous; a player who takes a proactive form of out-of-possession work, pressing high and blocking off passing lanes. Matheus Cunha's arrival, coupled with the pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, suggests Bruno Fernandes will spend the foreseeable future playing in central midfield for Amorim. A 26-year-old Casemiro might have worked as the club captain's midfield partner but a 33-year-old Casemiro will need assistance covering larger areas of space. The head coach has spoken of Kobbie Mainoo's improvement but appears to prefer the England international in the No 10 position rather than the more combative midfield pivot. Part of that is due to Mainoo's relative lack of pace, leaving him vulnerable when facing the Premier League's more physical teams. This tactical decision may also have roots in Mainoo's still-to-develop progressive passing over longer distances. (If Mainoo returned to Old Trafford with a consistent and precise switch pass, he could form a role in Amorim's midfield similar to Youri Tielemans for Aston Villa.) Toby Collyer has the athletic ability to cover larger areas of space but it remains to be seen whether he has the passing ability over longer distances. Amorim took the 19-year-old Sekou Kone on United's post-season tour and he could be a player to monitor over their upcoming tour to the United States. Advertisement United fans who grew weary of Harry Maguire's long diagonals to Patrick Dorgu during that Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao and will want a midfielder who is comfortable passing and receiving under pressure. A player who can drop deep and ease the passing burden on Amorim's back three would serve as an extra pressure valve when games get nervy. If said midfielder is skilled at carrying the ball across short distances, that would be a bonus too. Let's take a look at some players that might just fit the bill. Brighton signed Carlos Baleba in August 2023 to be Moises Caicedo's successor. Two seasons later and he's looking like one of the Premier League's better midfielders. (The above graphic totals the many actions a player does across a season, before giving them a rating from 0-99. The scores then relate to how often they do a given action compared with others playing in their position — such as carry progression or shot volume, or by how effective they are — such as tackle success. The more rounded the radar, the more complete the player.) Here's what you need to know about the Brighton man: Baleba serves as the Premier League-tested central midfielder that more than one club would like to sign. Declan Rice got a glimpse of Lamine Camara's skills during England's 3-1 defeat to Senegal earlier this month. The 21-year-old was a star of the show at the City Ground, disrupting passing lanes and rarely letting Rice — or any other England player — settle. Camara spent the 2024-25 season playing for Monaco. He might be on the move sooner rather than later. Here's what the above graphic is telling you about Camara: Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney looks ready to make the jump from the Championship to the Premier League. What makes the 22-year-old such an alluring prospect? That would be his approach to passing. A look at his most common progressive passes reveals a talented deep-lying playmaker, fond of wriggling into the half-spaces before getting the ball in and around the penalty box. You can tell this is a player who spent three years working under Michael Carrick at the Riverside. This is someone who progresses the ball in a speedy but sensible manner. Out of possession, his ability to cover ground is remarkable. He's an all-action player but someone who appreciates the need for subtlety and stillness too. Adam Wharton is brilliant. It would be unwise for Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace's higher-ups to sanction a sale for less than £75million. Wharton's passing range, intelligence and vision make for an intoxicating combination. The 21-year-old knows how to hit a raking long pass to switch play and change the angle of his team's attack, but also understands when to temper things and slow things down. He might be the closest thing to a modern-day Carrick in the Premier League today. Angelo Stiller, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength for Stuttgart in recent seasons. The German side finished ninth in the Bundesliga last season but Stiller's talents are such that he's likely on the move to a club with Champions League football in 2025-26. Sooner or later, a Premier League club is going to make a move for Lucien Agoume (Arsenal have an interest in the Sevilla midfielder). The 23-year-old has gained attention for his performances for France at the Under-21 European Championship. Agoume is a tall (1.88m/6ft 2in), combative midfielder who enjoys getting stuck in. Leganes' Oscar Rodriguez learned this the hard way in May, getting bumped off the ball with the sort of front-footed tackle Agoume enjoys. The Frenchman is the sort of midfielder that's hard to battle with once he gets in a shoulder-to-shoulder encounter. His tackling technique when retreating may need a little refinement (he collected five yellow cards and one red in La Liga last season), but this is a defensive midfielder who doesn't shirk the dirty work. He's also fond of a line-breaking pass. Take a look at this 60-yard through ball to team-mate Dodi Lukebakio. His technical ability on the ball has already invited comparisons to other great French midfielders. Agoume offers a range of clever responses to various sticky situations; a front-footed ball winner who can pass and carry the ball to a high standard in equal measure. If United were to make a move for him, they'd likely have to contend with Arsenal for his signature. Manuel Locatelli has appeared on Athletic midfield shortlists since 2021. Where he was once touted as 'The Next Big Thing' for Italy's midfield, he has now grown into a Steady Eddie of a central midfielder. Locatelli is the sort of midfielder who doesn't pop up in too many post-match highlight packages but knows how to keep things ticking along. Advertisement In 2024, our defensive midfielder piece was tied to Mainoo's skillset, and suggested Anton Stach and Morten Frendrup among our options. Stach was a dependable regular in a Hoffenheim side that had a mediocre 2024-25 season, finishing 15th in the league. He remains a tall (193cm/6ft 4in), tough-tackling operator in the middle of the pitch. He is not a consistent progressive passer over longer distances, but he can carry the ball well and doesn't mind moonlighting at full-back when needed. (Similar to Collyer.) Frendrup finished 13th in Serie A with Genoa last season and is a solid midfielder. The Denmark international is fond of peeling off to the right wing when attacking, looking to provide low crosses and pull-backs for team-mates. Wondering why the likes of Atalanta's Ederson or Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara are yet to be mentioned in this piece? That's because United have so many foibles and footnotes affecting their midfield engine room, one can present shortlists on top of shortlists for their problem position(s). Fernandes didn't appear well-suited to a box-to-box midfield role at the start of last season yet made adjustments to his game following the 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield. If the captain continues his good form, then United can go shopping for more of a tackler than a long passer. If Fernandes has more of the issues he encountered in the Europa League final, that complicates things. (Our recommendations of Valencia's Javi Guerra and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson can only be in passing for now.) United's midfield is a knotty situation that may require two signings, but budgets may only stretch to one player. Amorim and his staff will need to be strategic in their recruitment and coaching for the role going forward. (Top photos: Carlos Baleba, left, and Lucien Agoume; Getty Images)
