3 months ago
20 
A series of stats show that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte would be a huge upgrade on Casemiro in the Manchester United midfield.
Ugarte may not quite have shown his very best form in his single season in a PSG shirt, but it seems clear he’s got big potential, and, at the age of just 23, he will surely keep on improving in years to come.
Fabrizio Romano has written in his Daily Briefing column about Ugarte being Man Utd’s top target, despite links with some other names, and now some stats perfectly illustrate why the Red Devils are pursuing him as a much-needed upgrade on the ageing and out-of-form Casemiro in that defensive midfield role…
As you can see, Ugarte performed better than Casemiro on all key metrics last season, making more interceptions and tackles per 90 minutes than the Brazilian, while he also lost possession less often and was dribbled past less frequently.

 
Of course, stats don’t always tell the whole story and it remains to be seen how Ugarte would perform at United, but there are clearly some promising signs there and it’s hard to see the Uruguay international being worse than the hugely disappointing Casemiro.
United aren’t just replacing Casemiro, though, with Sofyan Amrabat’s loan also ending, while there will probably also be doubts about Scott McTominay’s future as he doesn’t look like being a regular in Erik ten Hag’s starting XI for the long-term.
