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Is Manuel Ugarte an engine room upgrade on Casemiro for Man Utd? £42m ‘personality’ question answered as Red Devils ready big-money midfielder for first Premier League start

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<p>The Red Devils have spent big bringing in another holding midfielder, as <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/erik-ten-hag-casemiro-man-utd-manuel-ugarte-southampton/bltaa7ece0f10d508e8" target="_blank">questions continue to be asked of former Real Madrid star Casemiro</a>. Erik ten Hag appears to have a ready-made replacement on his hands, with Ugarte yet to reach his peak at 23 years of age.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>United have <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/why-man-utd-manuel-ugarte-will-not-make-debut-liverpool-psg/bltc68f0704d8e50e4a " target="_blank">resisted the urge to throw Ugarte in at the Premier League deep end</a>, with a substitute appearance against Southampton being followed by a first start as Barnsley were trounced 7-0 in the Carabao Cup.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Quizzed on whether Ugarte is the <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/man-utd-ball-winning-machine-manuel-ugarte-kobbie-mainoo-perfect-midfield-partner/blt6460308987f2ee04 " target="_blank">engine room upgrade that United are after</a>, fellow countryman and ex-Premier League star Gus Poyet – speaking in association with <a href="https://sports.williamhill.com/betting/en-gb/football/competitions/OB_TY295/English-Premier-League/matches/OB_MGMB/Match-Betting " target="_blank"><em>William Hill</em></a> – told <strong>GOAL</strong>: “I was expecting Ugarte to come to England last year. There were rumours about Chelsea and I thought it wad the right time. After that, one year at Paris Saint-Germain. It’s a good move, a very good move, but he’s moving to a club that what’s going to happen, nobody knows. </p><p>“It was a big decision, a massive decision. When you go to a club, you see him play and you look at why he’s there and you think ‘okay, I like it and I know where we’re going’. I don’t think they are going to wait too long for him, so it’s going to have to happen straight away. Does he have the personality? Yes. And the qualities? Yes.”</p>

WHAT POYET SAID

<p>There is no ignoring the <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/manuel-ugarte-labelled-expensive-scott-mctominay-worrying-stat-51m-man-utd-signing-goes-viral/bltd95a3f4ea8d8ec23 " target="_blank">hefty price tag that Ugarte has around his neck</a>, and that will lead to immediate demands for positive performances. Asked if the South American needs to settle quickly amid the many challenges that he will inevitably face, Poyet added: “For sure. It’s different football. Before coming to England, I thought I had the perfect physical strengths to play in England. In the first two months I was struggling to hold anyone in the corners because they were all stronger than me! You need to learn and improve. If not, you cannot play in England. </p><p>“That is a shock. Some players take no time, some take three months, some take a year and then they leave. It will depend a bit on the momentum of the team. Now, after the last two or three games, it’s a good time to make a full Premier League debut.”</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>United, with <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/cristiano-ronaldo-man-utd-urged-keep-chasing-big-trophies-sacking-erik-ten-hag-isnt-answer/blt72d171054076a5f5 " target="_blank">six points being collected from four Premier League games</a> this season, will be back in action on Saturday when taking in a trip to Crystal Palace. Ten Hag may decide that is the right place and time to hand Ugarte his first start in the English top-flight.</p>

WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Is Manuel Ugarte an engine room upgrade on Casemiro for Man Utd? £42m ‘personality’ question answered as Red Devils ready big-money midfielder for first Premier League start | Goal.com English Saudi Arabia

Manchester United have been advised that £42 million ($56m) signing Manuel Ugarte does have the “personality” and “qualities” to thrive in England.