Louis Saha is convinced new Manchester United signing Manuel Ugarte will bring some steel to Erik ten Hag’s midfield.
United have signed Ugarte from PSG in a £42m deal, and he could make his debut at Southampton this weekend. And Saha believes his influence on the team cannot come soon enough.
Ugarte is expected to be handed a defensive midfield role at the expense of Casemiro, who Saha believes doesn’t have the legs to make his mark in the Premier League.
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Former United star Saha, speaking to Paddy Power, said: “I’m sure that Manuel Ugarte watched the Liverpool game and saw how he can help the Manchester United team.
“I don’t think the midfield had legs – if anyone from Liverpool counter-attacked, no one could catch them in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo was trying, but didn’t have the power to go about players and catch them. This midfield isn’t strong enough – Casemiro has never had the legs.
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(Image: Getty Images)
“He’s playing it forward too quick. He was very successful in his first year, provided a lot of forward passes for our centre forwards, and that really helped us create that disruption in midfield.
“He’s been hard of pace, and less focused on protecting the defence as he was at Real Madrid with Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić. Manuel Ugarte will come and sit there. He will track back and will get players who are counter-attacking.
“He’ll allow the other players with more flair to find their balance. The midfield is clearly unbalanced. It needs to provide something for the forwards, who need confidence and a bit of space.”
To listen to the full interview, go to https://www.paddypower.com/football/english-premier-league