Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte is regularly one of the first to leave Carrington after training as doubts emerge over his future, according to the Sun.
On the pitch, Man United are looking to significantly boost their Champions League qualification hopes when they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Michael Carrick looking to bounce back from his first defeat in caretaker charge last time out against Newcastle United.
That result kept the Red Devils in third, but they are also just three points above sixth-placed Liverpool, with the top five spots likely to be the only ones that guarantee a spot in Europe’s elite club competition next term.
Sunday is a huge opportunity as they welcome the fourth-placed Villans to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, knowing that they can not only boost their own chances of a top-four finish, but also put a severe dent in Villa’s too.
Whether United qualify for the Champions League or not could have a big bearing on how many changes are made to their squad in the summer.
Ugarte Has Had ‘Chastening’ Second Season at United
It’s fair to say that Ugarte simply hasn’t lived up his billing following his £50m move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, and things have taken a turn for the worst this season.
The Uruguay international has only made seven Premier League starts for United in 2025-26 so far, appearing in 21 games in total for the Red Devils.
Despite Carrick publicly praising him recently, he has barely featured under the caretaker manager, with his longest outing being the 29 minutes he got as a substitute against Newcastle last time out.
Even though his minutes have been severely limited behind the likes of Casemiro and, more recently, Kobbie Mainoo, Ugarte has still been on the pitch for 25 of the 44 goals United have conceded this season.
While some players in a similar situation to the 24-year-old’s would want to prove a point in training, instead he is said to often be one of the first to leave and be home by 12:15pm after a 9am start, according to the Sun.
Amorim Slammed Ugarte in Front of Teammates
At the end of last season, former United boss Ruben Amorim is said to have criticised Ugarte in front of his teammates in a team briefing, saying he didn’t recognise the player he had worked with previously at Sporting Lisbon.
His main issue was surrounding the South American’s reduced work rate, which has a potential link to the latest story from the Sun.
According to ESPN, United are willing to listen to offers for the midfielder this summer, which is of little shock given he has ultimately been another big-money flop for the club.
GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that United are ideally looking to sign two top new midfielders this summer, with Casemiro leaving Old Trafford at the end of the season when his contract expires.
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