Ruben Amorim showed his ruthless side in an end-of-season meeting at Manchester United where Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte were told some home truths.
The transparency and honesty of Ruben Amorim has made him an extremely likeable figure among Manchester United supporters, but the Portuguese head coach has also not been afraid to stamp down his authority at times.
Reports of Amorim smashing a TV in the dressing room, paired with his summer decision to banish five players from first-team training, prove just how ruthless he can be.
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After defeat in the Europa League final last season, Amorim told Garnacho he ‘better pray’ he finds a new club in the summer. The Carrington graduate swiftly completed a move to Chelsea…
In that same meeting, it seems Amorim also took aim at midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
Manuel Ugarte playing in the Manchester derby
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s criticism of Manuel Ugarte
There was hope that Amorim could get the best out of Ugarte at United considering the pair had previously worked together at Sporting Lisbon.
It was Amorim who brought Ugarte to Sporting in 2021 and made him a star before his move to PSG in 2023.
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A few weeks ago, there was some confusion about journalist Laurie Whitwell being misquoted around what Amorim said to Ugarte, but now he has cleared up exactly what happened on the Talk of the Devils podcast.
“Manuel Ugarte was one player that got quite strong criticism after the end of the season,” Whitwell said.
“It was the same meeting that he told Garnacho that he better have a good agent in the summer because he was staying.
“He felt that he wasn’t at the same work levels as he had shown him at Sporting, which I think said to people that this guy, ok, he’s strong, but at least he’s fair, you know, even with previous relationships that he’s had with players.”
Ruben Amorim looking to upgrade from Manuel Ugarte
Ineos hoped that Ugarte would be Casemiro’s long-term heir at United, but it hasn’t panned out that way.
In fact, statistics show that United crumble when Ugarte is playing. In contrast, there has been an over-reliance on Casemiro in midfield, with performance levels dropping as soon as the experienced Brazilian is taken off.
United are in talks with Casemiro over a new deal, but ultimately, the Red Devils will have to move on from the 33-year-old sooner rather than later.
READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano shares how Ruben Amorim really feels about Manuel Ugarte behind the scenes
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It is known that United want to sign a new midfielder in 2026, and replacing Casemiro will be a top priority. Ugarte’s value has dropped, but Ineos could still look to offload the Uruguay international to make space for new arrivals.
Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have all emerged as top midfield targets for 2026, and it could be Ugarte who makes way for new incomings.