Manuel Ugarte says he sounded out members of the Manchester United squad before signing a five-year deal, with an option to extend by another year, at Old Trafford. The ball-winning midfielder arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on Deadline Day and the 23-year-old Uruguayan was introduced to the club’s supporters before Sunday’s home defeat to Liverpool.
Ugarte sought the views of Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez before moving to the Premier League and said: “I've watched a few games since the news started to come out. I've also spoken with one or two players, with Bruno and Licha [Martinez], and I have chatted quite a lot. I also spoke a lot with [former Man Utd player] Facu Pellistri and he told me all about everything: the atmosphere that's generated, the matchday atmosphere that builds up at Old Trafford is incredible. I'm really thrilled and more than anything eager and excited, while I obviously realise that it's a great responsibility and I'm prepared for that. I've never seen anything like it before. These United fans, since the news first came out, they've been sending me messages. It also made the news in Uruguay. I think that the supporters, the real die-hard United fans, deserve the club to be winning trophies and that's what we're hoping to achieve.”
Video is currently not available. A combative defensive midfielder, Ugarte has built a solid reputation for his ability to win back possession with well-timed tackles and clever positioning. “It does kind of sum me up, because it's something I feel very comfortable doing when it comes to winning the ball back and now I'm looking forward to doing it right here,” Ugarte added. “[Tackling] is something I do as a rule and it's part and parcel of my game.”