Mark Goldbridge Slams ‘Baffling Signing’ Man Utd Made in the Summer

Mark Goldbridge says Manchester United’s signing of Manuel Ugarte is ‘baffling’ after the Uruguayan was left out of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI for their 2-1 loss to West Ham United on Sunday.

After making only his fourth start in United colours on Thursday against Fenerbahce, the £42m summer arrival was snubbed again for the Premier League encounter, leaving fans and pundits confused over his absence.

Ugarte was one of the best players on the pitch for the midweek Europa League clash, key in setting up Christian Eriksen’s opener, and produced his best showing for the club since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the Uruguayan was surprisingly left on the bench for the full 90 minutes at the London Stadium – a decision which led Goldbridge to raise concerns on X:

United had been chasing Ugarte all summer, spending several weeks locked in negotiations with PSG before finally reaching an agreement to bring him to Manchester in the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

The Uruguayan has struggled to secure a spot in Ten Hag’s first team so far, amassing just 106 minutes of Premier League action across four appearances.

The Dutch manager opted for a double pivot of Eriksen and Casemiro in the 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium, United’s fourth of the campaign, with the loss sealed by Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute penalty.

Casemiro, who had been replaced by Ugarte in the starting XI against Fenerbahce, cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s opener with a header, before Bowen’s spot-kick broke United hearts in injury time.

The Red Devils were left frustrated when a controversial late penalty was awarded to West Ham, with Ten Hag branding the decision yet another example of ‘injustice’ against his struggling side.

The defeat leaves Man United in 14th, with just 11 points from their first nine matches.

Statistics courtesy of Fbref and Transfermarkt. Correct as of 2 8 -10-24.