Man Utd want £30m alternative for 'dark arts' Ugarte

Manchester United kick off their season on Saturday afternoon with a repeat of last campaign's FA Cup final. They will face Manchester City in the Community Shield, hoping to repeat their 2-1 win at Wembley a few months ago, which came with goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

Their Premier League campaign begins next Friday, as the Red Devils host Fulham at Old Trafford. This is the opening game of the season in the English top flight and it will be a campaign where United hope to regain their place in the top four, after missing out last season.

After the Fulham game, Erik ten Hag's team have their first trip on the road, as they will visit the AMEX stadium to face Brighton and Hove Albion. This will be new Seagulls coach Fabian Hurzeler's first home game in charge of his new club.

Completing their first block before the September international break, United face arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. This is not a game Ten Hag has lost, with two wins and a draw to his name so far in his home country.

The Red Devils will need more depth in their squad to help them get off to a good start and have recently been linked with one man who can add depth to the squad.

Man Utd are targeting the Brazilian midfielder

The player in question here is Fluminense and Brazilian midfielder Andre. The 23-year-old midfielder has excelled in recent seasons for the Tricolor Flu Fluzao, and could now leave the club he has spent his entire career in for a chance to shine in Europe.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Red Devils are still 'inquiring' about Andre, who previously showed interest in signing the midfielder. They turned their attention to a replacement for Manuel Ugarte, with United refusing to pay PSG's £51.6m bid for the midfielder.

Instead, United could pay around £30m to sign Andre this summer. He has already come close to a move to the Premier League, with Fulham previously showing an interest, but that deal has reportedly fallen through, according to one report, leaving the door open for United to come in.

Why Andre would be a great signing

So far during the Brazilian season, Andre has played nine times for Fluminense, with a knee injury sadly keeping him out most of the time. He also missed Brazil's recent Copa America, due to the same injury.

However, his quality is undeniable, and he could be another alternative to Ugarte, now that United have decided to end their interest in the Uruguayan international. The 23-year-old has been described as a “master of the dark arts” by football commentator Ben Mattinson, who confirmed that he is a “combatant” player.

Indeed, perhaps this is what United want in midfield, a hard-hitting ball-winner. In this sense, he could be a good alternative to Ugarte, although he may struggle in one pivot, and the former Sporting midfielder is better than him in other metrics.

According to FBref, Ugarte is averaging 6.32 tackles per 90 minutes, compared to 3.82 for Andre, a huge difference. However, they are close in possession numbers, with Ugarte averaging 8.42 per game and Andre a little more at 7.3.

The gap between the two on the ball is noticeable but not strong, and if he was played as a double pivot with someone like Mainoo or Mason Mount, who also plays well off the ball, some of his shortcomings would be hidden.

However, the Brazilian player is good on the ball, especially when he goes forward. He excels in receiving the ball for the defensive line and improving the play with the carry. The Fluminense midfielder averages 0.34 per game and completes 0.45 in the final third per game, showing his determination to go forward.

Not only that, Andre is also a good deep passer, and this is reflected in his stats compared to Ugarte. He achieves 5.17 continuous passes per 90 minutes, compared to the Uruguayan's 4.05, a clear difference that could help United's football a lot.

For around £30m, this is perhaps a deal United should not miss out on. They don't really have the same profile as Andre, and although he has trouble keeping the ball, he is very good on the ball and would add a lot of technical quality to United's midfield.