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Manchester United's latest recruit Manuel Ugarte has been slammed by Dutch icon Marco van Basten.

The Uruguayan midfielder signed for United on deadline day - from French giants Paris Saint-Germain - in a hefty £51million deal. However, his initial performances have failed to impress at Old Trafford.

Charged with addressing United's issues in central midfield, Ugarte has found it challenging to acclimatise to the demands of his new role. He has featured in five matches - across all competitions - and secured only three starts.

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Since taking over at United, Erik ten Hag has been plagued by continued midfield concerns. Van Basten has openly expressed his bewilderment at the former Ajax manager's rationale for acquiring Ugarte, suggesting the player falls short of expectations for such an investment.

While speaking on Ziggo Sport, Van Basten slammed the decision, stating: "It's crazy how much Erik ten Hag has decided to invest in players who aren't even good. I saw a new player transferred to Manchester, Manuel Ugarte, for €50million. How can this guy be here? It's bizarre," as replayed by The Express.

When challenged about the fairness of that instant judgement, after only witnessing two of Ugarte's games, Van Basten retorted confidently: "Yes. And I only needed those two games to see that he's not even worth 25 per cent of that amount."

Former United midfielder Paul Scholes has aired his concerns over the use of new signings at the club, particularly with the recent addition of Ugarte, who has not been featuring all that prominently under Ten Hag. Despite being acquired to bolster the team, Ugarte has already fallen to the side-line, serving as an unused substitute in matches against Aston Villa and FC Porto.

Expressing his unease about the situation to Premier League Productions, he said: "He is buying players to improve the squad. This Ugarte is a prime example. He has brought him in to improve this team. Now, after two games, he isn't playing. There has to be something fundamentally wrong with that."

Additionally, Scholes pointed out a trend that United's transfer targets seem uncontested by other top clubs. "The players they go in for... It seems like they are too easy to get. They aren't players that you aren't competing with an Arsenal, Manchester City, Barcelona or a Real Madrid for these players anymore," he added.

"You are bringing in players that aren't playing for their teams. You think of De Ligt at Bayern Munich, he couldn't get into the team. Ugarte at PSG, he couldn't get into the team."