HERE WE GO: Manchester United’s first January transfer signing is currently in Manchester ahead of official announcement scheduled to hold this week
Earlier today, we covered multiple reports from the local Lecce media which stated Patrick Dorgu to Manchester United has been agreed and the transfer is close to being completed.
The gist is that the 20-year-old will soon belong to the Premier League club on a five year contract and the Serie A side will get around €40m, a figure which encouraged some pride for the media around Lecce because it represents he club’s highest ever capital gain on a player.
Gazzetta dello Sport now join in with the Dorgu to Manchester United fun.
The famous old Italian newspaper have published an article stating: ‘Dorgu to Manchester United, it’s done! To Lecce almost 40 million, it’s a record.’
Dorgu is said to be ‘already packing his bags’ and just final details on bonuses are being sorted out. As Gazzetta have it, the youngster’s parents are packing up boxes for the big move, whilst the player himself is anxiously looking at his mobile phone.
Manchester United are said to have failed in their attempts to get a discount, and as such are approaching the €40m which was Lecce’s ambitious target.
Gazzetta state: ‘This evening, tomorrow morning at the latest, Dorgu will move to United on a permanent basis.’
Soon it should be a case of the player taking a trip to the airport ready to start his new life in England. Of course, accompanied by his family who have played a big part in his career to date.
Dorgu’s closed
Manchester United are reported to be on the verge of completing the blockbuster signing of highly-rated Danish defender Patrick Dorgu from Serie A side Lecce.
Local reports from SoloLecce claim that the Red Devils have had an offer of £29m plus a further £4m in performance related-add-ons accepted for the 20-year-old left-back in a deal which is being reported as ‘done’ with an agreement now in place. For the transfer to be completed, the player will need to undergo a medical after it was reported that personal terms have already been agreed.
Dorgu, who has scored three times and registered one assist in 21 matches, is expected to become the second signing of the Ruben Amorim era after the signing of 17-year-old Paraguayan defender Diego Leon from Primera División title hopefuls Cerro Porteno.
However, unlike Leon, who does not link up with his new teammates until the summer, Dorgu is expected to ‘immediately’ complete a move to Old Trafford and compete for a starting position in Amorim’s favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.
Why Man Utd have made the move for Patrick Dorgu
United boss Ruben Amorim has quickly implemented a new style of football with a heavy emphasis on attacking and energetic wing-backs that are able to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
At Sporting, for example, his team often used Geovany Quenda and Maximilliano Araujo to great effect, as well as academy graduate Nuno Mendes before his move to Paris Saint-Germain. The Red Devils currently have Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazaroui as natural right-backs in the team, but are lacking quality in the left-back area with long-term absentees Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both struggling for fitness.
Amorim has made the move for Patrick Dorgu to provide balance to his team and to offer his side a further threat from wide areas to provide support to Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have both struggled for goals and opportunities in the box this season.
Dorgu has scored three times in 21 matches this season – the joint second most of any full-back in Serie A while his 53 touches inside the box are the highest of any defender in the whole division despite playing for a team that is fighting to survive in the division.
What’s been said about Patrick Dorgu?
Fabio Lucioni, a former Lecce captain, is quoted by CalcioLecce as saying: “I would have already bought him a plane ticket. I say this in a positive sense, because he is a boy who has made an important journey in the youth sector and has shown that he can compete in a higher level of football than the one you experience in Lecce. So it is right that he goes.”
Alexander Riget, technical director of Dorgu’s former club FC Nordsjaelland, told Sky Sports: “Patrick is definitely coachable. He is a very good listener. He is not a guy who speaks a lot. He is quite silent and you have to be a little patient when you are asking questions because he is a thinker, so he needs to get started before he is going to say something.
But he is a very determined player. He has always focused on being better. A real football player. You know how it is nowadays with younger players, they also have other interests, watching things on their iPad, playing FIFA, doing other things, social media.
