Ugarte isn't a bad player and will improve us compared to what we've had in the last 5 or 6 years in the midfield. I think a player of his profile is required, but like yourself, I feel we can to better than Ugarte. Ugarte isn't the quickest and his all action style will go down well with certain fans and he keeps things simple in possession. So if we as a club are going to target a player of this type of profile where the player's out of possession game is more pronounced than his in-possession game, then we should be targeting players with a elite level of pace and athleticism.
And contrary to what some have said in other threads, we need this type of player to play a controlled possession game, because we can't play a controlled possession game in the EPL if we also can't control the game out of possession. Ugarte isn't going to move the needle as far as receiving the ball with his back to goal, doesn't have anywhere close to elite physicality and athleticism and he would be a concern for me defending large spaces in a higher defensive line which all proactive teams implement in the EPL. There's a highlights vid going around of Ugarte playing for SCP against Tottenham and in the last 15 to 20 seconds of the vid, Tottenham's Son, comfortably beats him for pace after Ugarte has a one yard head start. These are only small details but over the course of the season, they make a difference. So if we want to target a player who is risk averse at passing the ball, isn't good with his back to goal at receiving the pass as a holding mid, then why don't we target elite level athleticism and pace.?
We have a lot of good young central midfielders coming through the ranks who are mostly all technical players. So it does make sense to target a more combative type of midfielder to compliment the likes of Mainoo, Gore, Fitzgerald, Baumann who are all technically gifted players and can operate in deeper areas but would require a bit more defensive solidity next to them. I'm not saying all these players will make it, but I feel the plan will be to push one or two into the first team over the next year or two.
As far as height is concerned I don't believe aerial ability at CB is as important in the league as it once was. The game is more technical on the ball throughout the league and the requirements off the ball center around winning the ground duels rather than winning aerial duels. Because if the your aim as a team is to play higher up the pitch in a higher defensive line, then how we progress the ball technically in-possession backed up by controlling or containing space in 1v1s is more important than winning aerial duels. Aerial duels becomes important if you're struggling to get out of your own half in the present day EPL. But if we target players with a combination of pace, power and technical quality, then our problem won't be the aerial ball because keeping the ball and progressing the ball at a high level along with defending well on the front foot high up the pitch will result in us having far more control of the game. So for me, if it's a choice between a strong aerial CB who isn't very good on the ball or a CB who isn't very good aerially but is good on the ball and quick off the ground, then the second option has to take precedence. Because if we target players by prioritising the aerial game over ball playing ability and even pace and athleticism, then we'll be getting stuck in out own half far longer than is necessary.
I think Palhinha would be a good signing for us and would be a better player to have next to the kids we have coming through in midfield. Palhinha will keep it simple and stay disciplined in midfield and you can have moving parts interchanging next to him in the form of Kobbie Mainoo and the fullback inverting. But me personally I'd take a chance on the Feyenoord player Mats Wieffer who is younger at 24 years of age and is of a similar stature but is showing potential to be better on the ball.
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