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Manuel Ugarte might be the forgotten midfielder at Manchester United right now, but the Uruguay star has Thomas Tuchel’s eye alongside Federico Valverde.
Thomas Tuchel crossed paths with both Manuel Ugarte and Federico Valverde during England’s encounter with Uruguay during the March international break last Friday.
Both Manchester United star Ugarte and Valverde started for Marcelo Bielsa’s men at Wembley and Uruguay snatched a late 1-1 draw against England in their encounter.
Real Madrid ace Valverde netted Uruguay’s crucial equaliser against England from the spot-kick, while Ugarte played 87 minutes before he was taken off.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel has explained how Dominic Calvert-Lewin offers what Man Utd are missing
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Do you want Manuel Ugarte to be a Manchester United player for the 2026/27 season?
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images Thomas Tuchel’s admission about Manuel Ugarte when it comes to Federico Valverde shows his Man Utd worth if used correctly
Manuel Ugarte’s difficulties at Old Trafford have been well-documented and the 24-year-old defensive midfielder has struggled to establish himself as a regular.
The Uruguayan midfield player has been reduced to 23 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United and has tumbled down the pecking order.
Ugarte has managed only seven Premier League starts in 21 matches in the 2025-26 season and appears unable to turn Michael Carrick’s head in a meaningful way.
Despite his limited playing time at Old Trafford, the United midfielder remains an important part of Marcelo Bielsa’s squad going into this summer’s World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel provided a real wake-up call about Ugarte’s strengths after the England manager linked him to Federico Valverde amid Uruguay’s physicality.
“I learned a lot because it was a tough opponent,” he said after England’s 1-1 draw, as per ESPN.
“You just see it in the details. You learn a lot in the details, how is the behaviour [sic] and you see the level.
“If you play against [Manuel] Ugarte, if you play against [Federico] Valverde in midfield, you see the level.
“You play against the wingers and these defensive players, it’s a high level and then you instantly see, so we needed this kind of test. I’m happy that we did it the way we did it and we learned a lot.”
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Getty Images Manuel Ugarte’s physicality remains an asset for Man Utd so long as he has a Federico Valverde-esque player with him
Ugarte’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains in doubt after interim boss Michael Carrick has relied on the midfield partnership of Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro.
But Casemiro will leave United in the summer and the Red Devils are expected to strengthen the midfield area significantly after the 2025-26 Premier League season.
While Ugarte would be highly unlikely to become United’s preferred starter alongside Kobbie Mainoo, the Uruguay midfielder’s physicality remains a key strength for him.
Marcelo Bielsa has relied on the former Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting CP ace for his ‘bulldog’-esque approach to reinforce Uruguay’s physicality on the pitch.
If United could find a player who accompanies Ugarte as Federico Valverde does for Uruguay, then the ‘level’ of his playing ability would become all too apparent.
Tuchel’s assessment has provided United with an important consideration to make with midfield targets, including profiling someone who could complement Ugarte.
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