Man Utd head coach Ruben Amorim reportedly called out Manuel Ugarte in front of his team-mates for letting ‘his work rate slide’.

The Red Devils signed Ugarte from Sporting CP in a deal that could end up being worth €60m in August 2024 as Erik ten Hag looked to improve his midfield.

Ten Hag only lasted a couple months before he was replaced by Ugarte’s former coach at the Portuguese club, Amorim, who has had a tricky time at Man Utd.

The Red Devils are currently unbeaten in five Premier League matches as many feel Amorim’s side have turned a corner away from the inconsistent results that have plagued his tenure at Old Trafford.

Ugarte has started just two Premier League matches this season and has been on the bench for every match since their 3-1 defeat to Brentford in September.

A couple of weeks ago, Fabrizio Romano insisted that Amorim and Man Utd “maintain their trust” in the Uruguay international despite his poor displays.

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Romano said: “Of course performances haven’t been always excellent, but coach and club maintain their trust in Ugarte. They hope for improvement soon.”

But The Athletichas revealed on Tuesday that Ugarte was criticised in front of his team-mates by Amorim last season, as the Man Utd head coach told new Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho that he ‘would need a good agent during the summer window’.

Laurie Whitwell wrote: ‘Manuel Ugarte played for Amorim at Sporting between 2021 and 2023, but he was not given special treatment during the end-of-season meeting at Carrington that followed United’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur. This was the gathering, the day before United faced Aston Villa in the final Premier League game, where Amorim told?Alejandro Garnacho he would need a good agent during the summer window?due to him remaining as head coach. That conflict was what attracted the headlines when details emerged.

‘Several players were on the receiving end, too, but Amorim had particularly pointed feedback for Ugarte, who he felt had let his work rate slide from their time together at Sporting. Amorim believed Ugarte had gotten comfortable and said he did not recognise him as the same player from their first stint together.’

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Gary Neville has since insisted that Ugarte is not good enough to be a Man Utd player and suspected back in September that Amorim “doesn’t quite fancy him”.

Neville added: “I can’t help thinking that he [Ruben Amorim] doesn’t quite fancy him.

“He’s never really put him it from the beginning. He’s gone with Casemiro and Fernandes but Amorim needs to sort the midfield out.

“You can’t have that midfield. They’ve tried Mount, Fernandes, Ugarte, Casemiro but he’s changing a lot every game.”

When asked if they were ‘Man United players’, Neville replied: “Ugarte, for me, absolutely not. Mason Mount, to be fair, has done well the first two games but I’m not sure where he fits in.

“I think Ruben Amorim really likes Mount.”

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