Man Utd transfer targets: How does Manuel Ugarte compare to best Premier League defensive midfielders? | OneFootball

Manuel Ugarte only signed for Paris Saint-Germain last summer but the French champions are hoping to move him on to facilitate a move for Joao Neves. The Uruguayan midfielder was linked with a move to Premier League club Chelsea last season, but has reportedly now agreed personal terms with Man Utd.

Midfield was something of a problem for Erik ten Hag last season. Man Utd’s midfielders generally struggled for form, with the exception of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo. Scott McTominay scored goals, but he was inconsistent and is being linked with a move away as Man Utd look to free up funds.

So, with Ugarte, Man Utd are hoping to get a defensive midfielder capable of protecting the backline while also helping to move the ball about.

In his final season for Sporting CP, Ugarte made 120 tackles in the Primeira Liga, more than any other player. He also won possession in the middle third (148) more times than any other player, and ranked in the top 10 for interceptions and possessions won in the attacking third.

Ugarte ranked in the top 10 for passes attempted and completed and touches among midfielders in the Primeira Liga, with 91.76% passing accuracy. This came in 31 appearances and 2,368 minutes, with Ugarte missing two games through suspension and being rested once.

In his sole season at PSG so far, Ugarte kept his tackling up. The Uruguayan made 98 tackles in Ligue 1, more than any other player — sitting one clear of Brest’s Bradley Locko. In terms of PSG, second place for tackles was Lucas Hernandez on 52. Per 90 minutes, that averaged out at 4.56 per 90 minutes, the same as his average for Sporting CP.

Ugarte also won possessions in the middle third 91 times. Although this was a drop from his Sporting CP return, tactics will play its part. This becomes clearer when you look at his possessions won in the attacking third, winning 29, the second-most in Ligue 1.

Ugarte’s numbers look better when you consider the fact that he only played 25 times in Ligue 1. Per 90 minutes, he attempted and completed more passes at PSG than he did in his final season with Sporting CP, though his passing accuracy was slightly lower. The Uruguayan also averaged more possessions won in the defensive third at PSG than he did in the final season at Sporting CP — 2.84 per 90 minutes to 2.62.

And it looks like he’d settle in well in the Premier League.

Of course, the bar for defensive midfielders in the Premier League is Manchester City‘s Rodri. He’s also the bar for defensive midfielders in the world, recently picking up the Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024.

Last season, Rodri’s game was less about tackling, but he still made 70 tackles at an average of 2.2 per 90 minutes. And he remained an elite ball-winner. The Spaniard won possession 132 times in the middle third, more than any other player and ranked in the top top for possessions won in the attacking third. But, per 90 minutes in those metrics, Ugarte comes out on top in his specific matchup.

Of course, Rodri was also top of the charts for passes attempted and completed, as well as final third passes attempted and completed, and had more touches than any other player. He’s not a conservative passer either, averaging 26.1 forward passes per 90 minutes.

Declan Rice is another midfield star, though his role for Arsenal saw the Englishman a bit more advanced in positioning. He averaged 2.31 tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League, forming part of the best defensive unit in the division. He ranked in the top 10 for interceptions (44) and committed just 0.95 fouls per 90 minutes on average. However, once again, Ugarte does beat Rice for interceptions per 90 minutes.

Moving up the list of tacklers, Moises Caicedo had a decent first season at Chelsea, though maybe not a £100m-worthy campaign. But he made 91 tackles, the eighth-most in the Premier League and won possession in the defensive third 81 times. Even his 96 possessions won in the middle third was enough to break into the top 20.

Also in the Big Six, Yves Bissouma was an unsung hero for Tottenham Hotspur at times. He averaged 3.46 tackles per 90 minutes, which was only bettered by Ugarte in this particular quintet. But Bissouma comes out on top for clearances (1.82) and headed clearances (1.43) per 90 minutes, which Ugarte does rank low on.

And, finally, what about the man he would likely replace at Man Utd? A lot was said about Casemiro losing his legs at Man Utd, which was exacerbated by his stint at centre-back. But there is still some life in the old dog.

In this particular one-on-one, Casemiro comes out on top for long passes completed, forward passes and aerial duel success rate when looking at his stats for last season. But Ugarte’s 2023/24 Ligue 1 campaign wins on tackles, duels won, ground duel success rate, interceptions and ball recoveries.