Incoming Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim’s arrival this week will see him reunite with his former Sporting CP midfielder and £43million Red Devils summer signing Manuel Ugarte
New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has warned Manuel Ugarte that he will receive no preferential treatment because of their history together.
Amorim managed his last game for Sporting CP on Sunday, signing off in style with a 4-2 comeback victory against Braga just days after he pulled off the same feat to beat Manchester City 4-1. The two-time Portuguese Primeira Liga winner flies to Manchester on Monday (November 11), where he will be forced to wait to get onto the training pitch due to work permit issues.
The 39-year-old, who is expected to implement a new 3-4-3 formation at Old Trafford, will be reunited with Ugarte, having coached the Uruguayan for two seasons at Sporting between 2021 and 2023.
But while Amorim spoke glowingly of Ugarte in a recent interview, he has warned the midfielder that he still needs to fight for his place in the Red Devils team like any other player.
Amorim began by telling TNT Sports: “First of all, all the Uruguayans I’ve managed are incredible and that’s why I love all Uruguayans,” before adding: “Ugarte is a very talented kid, he has a lot of room to grow, and he was one of the funniest players I’ve ever coached.”
He acknowledged that the former Fénix player will not have special status, saying: “I was very happy to know I would find him back at Manchester United, but he knows better than anyone that for me all players are equal, so I was very happy, but he is still going to have to work hard.”
Ugarte started just two matches under the recently sacked Erik ten Hag following his £42million move from Paris Saint Germain on deadline day. The 23-year-old had only joined the Parisians a year prior from Sporting for £51m but failed to impress manager Luis Enrique.
He has not exactly set Old Trafford alight with his performances either, having been brought in as a successor to the ageing Casemiro. However, Ugarte enjoyed a run of four straight starts under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose own future at United will be decided this week.
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