Manuel Ugarte 'lucky' for Ruben Amorim reunion as new Man Utd signing told he can make 'big impact' after Erik ten Hag era

The Uruguayan midfielder completed his transfer to the Premier League in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain for a huge £51 million ($60m) deal, but he endured a tough start under former United boss Erik ten Hag. However, since the departure of the Dutchman and the arrival of Amorim at Old Trafford, Ugarte has featured in the starting lineup in the club's last four matches across all competitions.

Ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and former Uruguay international Poyet has backed his compatriot to perform well under the Portuguese coach who had earlier managed Ugarte at Sporting CP. Poyet further claimed that the 23-year-old will also benefit from playing alongside a seasoned campaigner like Casemiro at the centre of the park.

Speaking to BetVictor, the 57-year-old said: "Manuel Ugarte is lucky that Ruben Amorim has joined Manchester United as the manager. He wasn’t a regular starter under Erik ten Hag, but now he’ll be working under a manager who he knows well. I like the player a lot, I think he can make a big impact at the club under a manager who made great use of his abilities at Sporting Lisbon.

"I was delighted to see him come to the Premier League, but he wasn’t starting under Erik ten Hag. Hopefully, now he can get an extended run in the starting XI. That will help him to adapt to the Premier League and I hope he can get a good run in the side and make an impact for United."

Speaking on Casemiro's role in improving Ugarte's game, Poyet added: "Casemiro could be very important for United in acting as a mentor for Ugarte. I said the same thing about Aurelien Tchouameni. I gave him his professional debut for Bordeaux at 18 when I was manager, he then made his move to Real Madrid and had the guidance of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro, you can’t ask for much more as a young midfielder.

"He had that time to adapt before going straight into the team, after a month Casemiro had left and Tchouameni was in the team! He hasn’t looked back since and is one of the best defensive midfielders in world football now. He had the guidance that prepared him for that, and you need to use these senior players in the right way to guide, whilst giving the young player the time to play. I can see the same situation with Ugarte being guided by Casemiro."

The Red Devils, who tasted defeat for the first time in the Amorim era against Arsenal this midweek, will be back in action on Saturday as they take on Nottingham Forest at home.