“Embarrassing” Man Utd star looks finished under Amorim

Since INOES took over the club, Manchester United have not been afraid to make some major sales in the transfer market. Be it academy players or big-money stars leaving for less than they cost, Ruben Amorim’s squad has a new look.

Perhaps the biggest name to leave, albeit only on loan, was Marcus Rashford. He is thriving at Barcelona, where he has 15 goal involvements in just 16 games. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony were moved on permanently over the summer too.

It will be fascinating to see who leaves over the next few transfer windows. If United are looking to cash in on stars who don’t fit Amorim’s system, Diogo Dalot could be on that list.

Dalot’s limits in Amorim’s system

It has not been easy for Dalot to adapt to Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. The Portuguese is a right-back by trade, but can operate on the opposite side, too. This means the Red Devils boss has relied on him playing as a wing-back.

In principle, this is fine, but the wing-backs in United’s current system are essentially wingers. Often, they are the furthest players forward when attacking, which is why traditional full-backs like Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazroui have struggled more than wingers like Amad.

Dalot certainly fits into this category. The 26-year-old has played 45 times under his countryman at Old Trafford, with every single one of those appearances coming as a wing-back. To break that down further, 22 have come on the right, and the other 23 on the left, so it is an almost equal split.

Certainly, the United number 2 has left a little to be desired creatively. He’s only scored and assisted seven goals, with his strike against Lyon in the famous 5-4 Europa League win an example of how high he can get as a wing-back.

Whatever Dalot’s future is at United due to his suitability for the system, there is another player who should be taking his leave before too long.

Not just Dalot: Big-money flop must leave Man Utd

INEOS have certainly worked hard in the transfer market, cashing in on players who either aren’t good enough for the club or are not a good fit for Amoirm’s system. However, their work is not done yet.

One of the names who could be top of the sales list at Old Trafford is Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Their number 25 has yet to find his best form at Old Trafford since his big-money £42m move last summer.

His time as a Red Devils player has been incredibly disappointing, given the price United paid. He’s played 55 times for the club so far, even chipping in with two goals and five assists, but has looked off the pace in the Premier League.

One of the biggest issues with Ugarte is his lack of technical ability on the ball. The former Sporting CP star, who played under Amorim in Portugal, does not excel at progressing the ball forward, which is a real drawback to his game.

The numbers are there to support that theory as well. In the Premier League last season, Ugarte averaged just 3.08 progressive passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 18th percentile for midfielders.

Off the ball, he can be an effective ball-winner, but is rash, and committed 2.07 fouls each game last term.

There are certainly lots of negatives to Ugarte’s game. He is certainly ineffective on the ball, and at times, can be too lightweight without it, leading him to recklessly dive in.

It feels like he is yet to win over the fans, with Red Devils social media presence Alex Turk calling him “embarrassing” earlier this season.

With these things in mind, it would not be a surprise if United looked to cash in on the midfielder. They may not recoup much of the £50m fee, but would at least save on his £120k per week wages. In any case, they would be able to strengthen in midfield with a more progressive player.