'When I win the ball, I'm happy' - who is incoming Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte?

Manchester United are nearing the completion of a deal to add Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte to their team. This would be their fifth acquisition of the summer transfer period.

Erik ten Hag's team has reached an agreement to pay £42.3 million for the 23-year-old player from Paris St-Germain, with the possibility of £8.5 million in extra payments as part of the deal.

Ugarte will undergo a medical examination in Manchester on Tuesday before finalizing the transfer.

BBC Sport examines the individual who will be joining Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui as they enter Old Trafford.

Ugarte, a player who primarily plays in a defensive midfield position, grew up in Montevideo. He started his career as a forward at the Uruguayan club Fenix. He made his debut in the top-flight league when he was only 15 years and 233 days old, making him the youngest Uruguayan player to debut in the league in the 21st century.

Upon receiving the captain's armband at only 18 years old, Ugarte quickly impressed the Portuguese Primeira Liga club Famalicao, leading to his signing in December 2020. Just eight months later, the talented 20-year-old was acquired by Sporting Lisbon, the reigning champions. Initially brought in as a substitute for Joao Palhinha, Ugarte's performance eventually led to him taking on a more prominent role in the team.

In Lisbon, Ugarte began to display glimpses of his real talent, making a name for himself as a strong, hard-hitting midfielder under Ruben Amorim. This caught the attention of Chelsea and PSG, with the latter eventually securing his services in 2023.

"Ugarte has exceeded all our expectations," PSG coach Luis Enrique commented in the previous year. "He is a fantastic addition to the team and has a lot of potential for growth both offensively and defensively."

"He is a young player who has a strong personality, which is crucial for us, and provides the consistency we require in our tactical approach."

Ugarte played in 37 matches for the top French team last season, participating in 25 games in the French league and 8 in the Champions League. He was a starter in almost all of PSG's group matches in the Champions League.

"They are bringing in a highly skilled midfielder, a young player who is going to show great determination after struggling a bit in the latter part of last season at PSG," explained football journalist Matt Spiro, speaking on the Football Daily Podcast by BBC.

"If he continues to perform like he did in the initial weeks and months at PSG, the player will be outstanding."

Ugarte has played in 22 games for Uruguay since starting with the national team in September 2021. Although he didn't get to play in any of the three group games at the 2022 World Cup, he was selected for the Copa America team of the tournament this summer. He played a key role in helping Uruguay secure a third-place finish, with Colombia taking second place and Argentina coming out as the winners.

He is the fifth player from Uruguay to play for Manchester United, following in the footsteps of Diego Forlan, Guillermo Varela, Edinson Cavani, and Facundo Pellistri who recently signed with Panathinaikos.

Considering how easily Manchester United's defense was breached last season - only the relegated Sheffield United allowed more shots in the Premier League than Ten Hag's team - it is not shocking that Ugarte has been signed.

Spiro commented that Ugarte's strength and skill in anticipating the game and making tackles could make him a great player in the Premier League.

He performed very well in a 3-4-3 formation during his time at Sporting, but most of his games at PSG were as the player deepest in midfield trio. At United, he will probably play in a 4-2-3-1 formation in a double pivot, likely alongside Kobbie Mainoo.

Casemiro has been the main defensive midfielder for the Red Devils under Ten Hag, but he had a challenging season last year, along with other players who also did not meet expectations.

Last season at PSG, Ugarte stood out with his strong defensive skills. He consistently made an average of 4.56 tackles per 90 minutes, ranking second among midfielders in Europe's top leagues. He also excelled in ball recoveries, with 8.42 per game, placing him fourth among midfielders. In addition, he was one of only five midfielders in Europe's top divisions who won possession in the final third 1.35 times per 90 minutes.

Ugarte expressed his joy at regaining possession of the ball in a 2023 interview with PSG's official website. However, as the game progresses, he sets his sights on scoring a goal. He motivates himself by thinking, "I really want this to end with a goal."

In contrast, Casemiro averaged just 3.76 tackles and 6.03 ball recoveries per match in the 2023-24 Premier League season. He also had fewer successful challenges on the ground (4.62 compared to 6.79 per 90 minutes) and gave away possession more frequently (13.6 times per game compared to Ugarte's 8.56 times).

If the player from Uruguay can keep up that great form in England, he might be exactly what Manchester United has been desperately needing.