As long as it's the position and role that Ugarte played rather than his ability to play that position.

We don't like Ugarte, but, I gotta say, if he was in a team that wasn't looking for anything other than making a defensive action in front of the back like and then making a short pass sideways to someone else… I think he'd do well. Unfortunately for him, that's more of a bottom-half team kind of a role. (We did buy him after that crappy second ten Hag season where we were giving up like 25-30 shots per game it seemed like; we obviously over-compensated).

I think a Moyes-type team would love him. (I mean… this was Thomas Soucek in Moyes' West Ham, basically, no? LOL)

Soucek actually provides decent offensive output though

On and off. It's like Maguire, some years yes, some years no, but he's not really there for goals.

(P.S.: go here and put in Soucek and Ugarte if you doubt lol; I was actually surprised how similar the shapes were:
https://datamb.football/midfielders/ )

If someone can teach him to become positionally aware and read the game better, he'd be fine. But he's always good for a couple of WTF moments where he's pressing way too far up the pitch and leaving space in behind or trying some stupid ball progression that he's not capable of. Just need to put a pole on edge of the 18 yard box and tie him to it with a 25 yard chain. Stay there. Tackle anything that comes at you. Pass to the first guy you see wearing your jersey if you win the ball. That's it. Do only that.

If Ederson is indeed the Ugarte profile but (hopefully) better, then they still need a 3rd new midfielder, IMO, even if Fernandes and Ederson are signed. I doubt Jack Fletcher is ready to be the 4th midfielder in a team that will be playing twice a week for at least the first half of the season. I'm guessing he gets loaned out. I guess Mount could be your 4th midfielder but he's never really looked the part there in spite of what EtH bought him for 3 years ago.

I don't think Ederson is the Ugarte profile at all. Really, honestly, the only target that is like a traditional 6 is Tchouameni. The others are more like 8's that help defend. Maybe Anderson, but honestly, I really think he's like West Ham Declan Rice in that he's doing a lot of defending just because of the team he's in, but at another club his other capabilities will take more priority. And Tchouameni isn't just a pure defensive midfielder, but I don't think he's really needs to be a creator or a ball carrier at Real Madrid.

Carl Anka described Ederson as "good Fred" in this week's TOTD podcast. Fred self-described his strength as carrying a piano up the pitch for the artists to play. That clearly was not Ugarte; when he gets the ball, you want it to go to someone else soon.

(I guess it is kind of difficult to know exactly what he meant, but when I think of "good Fred" I personally think of someone who had a lot of energy and covered a lot of ground. Maybe he meant something else, but Ugarte doesn't amaze me with his ground coverage; it was a real problem this year first half because Casemiro and Bruno aren't either. I guess the bad of Fred is that he could be out of position; that part of Fred was not absent from our midfielders at least in the Amorim part of the season. Hopefully he's not bring that.)

To clarify, I think Ederson is intended to fill the role that they hoped Ugarte would fill adequately but hasn't.

But I'm going strictly based on summarized data analysis that I didn't create. I certainly haven't watched him play. The data has Ederson high on on-ball movement mostly because he keeps his passing short and front foot defending, but below average at press resistance, carry progression, and creative threat. To me it sounds like what they wanted Ugarte to do but he seemed to get lost anytime he got out of his own half and his passing was too often misplaced.

I don't think he is filling the Ugarte role though. Ugarte was the Casemiro squad player option who could be the deepest midfielder. We don't really know who the new Casemiro player is, but I don't think he's the squad option replacement for that position. Will he be a squad player? Yes. So will someone else (probably Fernandes). If we were lining it up, the last signing replaces Casemiro, the next signing replaces Ugarte, and Ederson replaces someone that doesn't even exist.

Lammens has been very good, and I'm thrilled to see him develop for us. But, if he was coming in following, say, de Gea, I'm not sure the contrast is stark enough to win "signing of the season." So backhanded assist to Onana (and Bayindir) lol.

Making an instant impact for his new club ❤️@ManUtd’s goalkeeper Senne Lammens is @BarclaysFooty Transfer of the Season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SG0Saqr6Gd

— Premier League (@premierleague) June 1, 2026

Deal done
Edit: Fee is 35M GBP base, 4M GBP add-ons

🚨 Manchester United reach agreement with Atalanta to sign Ederson. Price for 26yo midfielder €40.5m fixed + €4.5m of potential bonuses. Personal terms in place on 4+1yr deal. Must still do medical & all parties plan to complete early July @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/OgkmPEYVg7

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 2, 2026

Showstopper said:

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Deal done
Edit: Fee is 35M GBP base, 4M GBP add-ons

🚨 Manchester United reach agreement with Atalanta to sign Ederson. Price for 26yo midfielder €40.5m fixed + €4.5m of potential bonuses. Personal terms in place on 4+1yr deal. Must still do medical & all parties plan to complete early July @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/OgkmPEYVg7

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 2, 2026

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Nice Nice to see deals being done in June and not August