2026 can’t come soon enough; Manchester United Following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with winless Wolves, the team capped off a dismal 2025 in desperate fashion.

The beginning of a new year provides an opportunity Ruben Amorim However, as the January window begins, it also marks the perfect time to implement such changes.

As the latest stalemate has shown, the United boss must put his much-maligned 3-4-3 formation behind him, and the same could happen to the midfield strugglers. Manuel Ugarte.

According to FBref, the Uruguayan’s tackles per 90 place him in the top 1% of Europe’s top five midfielders. His effort was impeccable, but his ability on the ball was woefully lacking and he has only scored twice since his return in August 2024.

It is said Reprimanded by Amorim The 24-year-old is already on loan after last season’s Europa League final, and work is underway to replace him in the midfield.

Manchester United looking for potential Ugarte replacement

It was thought that Ugarte was targeted by Amorim after he came on as an unused substitute against Bilbao in May because he looked different to the players he coached at Sporting CP.

Is there really a way to escape such criticism? Well, maybe not if recent reports are to be believed, it is said that Manchester United Accept offer for Their signings worth £42m.

Turkish giants Galatasaray The men are believed to be ready to strike in January, which could bring an end to a disappointing 18 months in Manchester for the former Paris Saint-Germain man.

Need midfield depth, daily mail Named Atletico Madrid Connor Gallagher One of the players on Ineos’ January shortlist, the Red Devils are said to have made inquiries for the Englishman in the summer.

Reports suggest the 25-year-old is available for around £35m, with Diego Simeone’s side unlikely to sanction a loan move for the former Chelsea man.

Why Gallagher could be Manchester United’s perfect January signing

If Istanbul’s interest in Ugarte does increase in the near future, there is a suggestion that the draw at Wolves could be his last game for the club, especially with Coby Mainu set to return.

Unfancied from the start, Erik ten Hag was a defensive-minded asset who seemed to lack the qualities needed to thrive at the elite level. Scout Liam Canning suggesting he “didn’t even look like Premier League football player”.

Although Gallagher was dropped by Chelsea in the same summer that Ugarte arrived in Manchester, he at least proved that he could thrive in England’s top flight, and his final season at Stamford Bridge was particularly fruitful.

Indeed, the striking all-rounder scored and assisted 16 goals in all competitions during the 2023/24 season, even captaining the Blues on occasion, but it came as a bit of a surprise when he was moved on to Todd Boley and Co. that summer.

The midfield “machine”, Praise from former teammate Moises CaicedoHe first really caught people’s attention when he was loaned to Crystal Palace in the 2021/22 season, scoring 13 goals and assists for the Eagles in the league and cup.

That impressive quality was on display again in the Spanish capital, with Gallagher scoring 14 goals and assisting 14 in 75 games for the La Liga side, becoming a reliable presence under the enigmatic Simeone.

Unlike Ugarte, who has just six career goals, Gallagher’s game has an end product, and while he ranks in the top 3% in interceptions, he also has upside defensively.

He is the type of player United need in midfield, able to win the ball back high up the pitch and press effectively, as evidenced by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% of La Liga midfielders for tackles in the final third.

To be fair, he’s not the creative type, ranking in the bottom 23% in assists and the bottom 34% in shot creation, but that burden has been shouldered elsewhere on the floor under Bruno Fernandez and Amad.

In short, having seen Ugarte toil for so long, Amorim just needs a proven talent in the Premier League to re-energize the midfield department.

Relevant

After Wolves, Amorim must not start the Manchester United duo again for £470,000/week

Manchester United ended 2025 with a consistently weak performance at Old Trafford.