Ruben Amorim reveals the one player he can't wait to reunite with at Man Utd

Ruben Amorim reveals the one player he can't wait to reunite with at Man Utd

Ruben Amorim has vowed to bring the best out of Manuel Ugarte when he takes over as Manchester United manager.

Amorim is poised to take over from Ruud van Nistelrooy as head coach on Monday after overseeing one final match at Sporting Lisbon, against Braga on Sunday. He has a big task on his hands at Old Trafford, with Untied languishing in the bottom of the Premier League table following a poor start to the campaign under Erik ten Hag.

Ugarte arrived as part of a £180million spend in the summer transfer window, with Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui all signed. The £50million arrival from Paris Saint-Germain is yet to discover his best form in a red shirt, having taken a long time to settle in his new surroundings.

The hiring of his former Sporting boss – the man who turned him into a midfielder PSG were willing to pay €60m (£50m) in July 2023 – is a major boost for Ugarte, who enjoyed two productive seasons under Amorim in Lisbon. The feeling is certainly mutual, with Amorim excited by what is to come.

“All the Uruguayans I managed are incredible and that’s why I love them,” he said. “Ugarte is a very talented boy and has a lot of room to grow. I am very happy to know that I have him back at Man United.”

Amorim will inherit another Sporting alumnus at United in captain Bruno Fernandes, who left the Portuguese side for Old Trafford in January 2020 – a few months before Amorim arrived. Their paths have not yet crossed, but Fernandes is already a big fan, having kept a close eye on his former club.

Image: Getty Images) Getty Images)

"I am a big fan of Sporting and watch a lot of their games obviously,” he told BBC Sport. “He brought the excitement back to the club. It was a club that was a little bit split between board, fans, players when he came [to Sporting]. It was a pretty difficult time at the club. He transformed everything around and brought everyone together."

United’s other Portuguese player, Diogo Dalot, is also excited by what the future holds. “He’s obviously a fantastic coach, a young mentality but at the same time he knows what he wants,” he told Sky Sports. “Very demanding, that’s what I can expect – and I think that’s the perfect match for a club like this.

"Standards are really high – he’s a person that you can see has really high standards and he stands by them, so I hope that can be a really good match and that we can win together, that’s what I wish the most.

“I think the Premier League really suits people from Portugal. We have this culture of trying to prove ourselves constantly and of fighting for a place because we come from a small country. It’s been all through the years, not just players but managers, coming to the Premier League and to England and being successful so I really hope it’s one more case. And I’m really excited to start working with him.”

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