Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre believes that Erik ten Hag made the right call to make one key addition to his first-team squad in the summer.
Erik ten Hag saw the arrival of several major signings at Old Trafford in the first summer transfer window under Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee first arrived at Manchester United from Bologna in July before the Red Devils signed French defender Leny Yoro from Lille.
Ten Hag was reunited with two more of his former Ajax players this summer, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui both arriving from Bayern Munich.
United’s busy summer window was capped off with the signing of Manuel Ugarte, who completed his move to Old Trafford on deadline day.
Silvestre on Man Utd summer signing
Manuel Ugarte was heavily linked with Manchester United in the summer and the Red Devils finally landed him from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £50.5m.
Erik ten Hag had been keen for the arrival of a new defensive midfielder, with Casemiro’s influence in the role waning at Old Trafford last season.
Ugarte has only made five appearances for United across all competitions since he signed for the Premier League club back in August.
The 23-year-old Uruguayan defensive midfielder has shown his quality at times in midfield, but Ugarte has not established himself as a regular starter for United.
Mikael Silvestre believes that unlocking Ugarte’s true potential will require a “strong partner” alongside him and praised the former PSG star’s desire to have a “battle.”
“I think Ugarte is a great signing,” he told TribalFootball.
“He probably cost United more than he should have, but that happens in football. Manuel needs a strong partner next to him for him to perform to the best of his ability, and he’ll need consistent game time.
“The game against Villa would have suited him perfectly because it was compact and that’s the type of game he thrives in. He loves to battle.”
Silvestre makes Ugarte prediction
Ugarte was left on the bench for United in the 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League and in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Silvestre added that the Uruguay international will turn out to be an “asset” for United, but he insisted that Ugarte alone can’t fix United’s midfield problems alone.
“Man United lack structure and compactness, they let players walk through their midfield or break the lines too easily,” he continued.
“Manuel will be able to help stop that problem, but he won’t be able to solve all the problems by himself. However, I predict him to be a great asset for United.”
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