Man Utd will raise the stakes for Patrick Dorgu
Manchester United are readying an improved bid to sign Patrick Dorgu, and whether the offer is likely to succeed has been detailed after the Lecce star approved a transfer.
The signing of a new left wing-back is priority number one with regards to arrivals at Man Utd this month. Moves for Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth) and Nuno Mendes (PSG) were explored by the club, though the cost of doing business for each player proved prohibitive for Man Utd.
As such, United turned their attention to Patrick Dorgu of Lecce who is valued at a more modest €40m/£33.8m by the Serie A side.
And what is clear is Man Utd WILL make an addition in the position this month, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano declaring there’s “no doubts” about that on January 22.
United’s first bid for Dorgu was understood to be worth €27m plus an unspecified amount of add-ons. It fell short of Lecce’s €40m asking price and was duly rejected.
But according to a fresh update from Romano, Man Utd will raise the stakes with an improved bid. The new offer reportedly won’t meet the €40m demand Lecce have put forward, though United are hopeful it will be enough to get the green light nevertheless.
“Understand Manchester United are preparing new proposal to Lecce for Patrick Dorgu,” wrote Romano.
“Not expected to reach requested €40m price tag yet but Man Utd will try to advance after €27m opening proposal turned down.
“Dorgu, keen on the move; no issues on potential contract.”
Encouragingly for Man Utd, a recent update from Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Lecce want to close Dorgu’s sale ‘as soon as possible.’
Lecce are aware they’ll lose a talent like Dorgu sooner rather than later and wrapping up a deal with more than a week remaining in the January window would give the club time and space to sign a suitable replacement.
Patrick Dorgu says yes to Man Utd
As mentioned by Romano, Man Utd will face “no issues” in agreeing personal terms with the 20-year-old Denmark international.
That’s because TEAMtalk exclusively learned on January 20 that Dorgu had verbally said yes to joining Man Utd.
With the player approving the move, an agreement on personal terms a formality, and Man Utd primed to make an improved offer, Ruben Amorim could be nearing his first major first-team signing as United boss.
The attack-minded Dorgu has operated in a wide variety of positions at Lecce, including on the right wing in a front three.
However, it’s at left wing-back where he’ll be deployed if brought to Old Trafford, with United crying out for specialised options for Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation.
Latest Man Utd news – Rashford, Garnacho, Casemiro
In other news, three issues that are holding up Marcus Rashford’s proposed move to Barcelona have emerged.
Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano claimed Chelsea are ‘weighing up a formal proposal’ to sign Alejandro Garnacho.
That comes after Man Utd reportedly lowered their asking price from £60m to £55m. The reduced rate is still considered too expensive by Napoli who have opened talks to sign Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund instead.
If Adeyemi does leave Dortmund, the German giant will move for Brentford’s Kevin Schade to complete the transfer merry-go-round.
Finally, Caught Offside claim Man Utd are under pressure to slash their £30m asking price for Casemiro.
With links to Turkish powerhouse Besiktas shut down, the only viable exit route is Saudi Arabia.
But with even the Saudi sides baulking at a £30m asking price, United may have to swallow their pride and accept a much reduced fee if they’re to successfully offload their highest earner (£350,000-a-week) before the February 3 deadline.
GO DEEPER: The rise of Patrick Dorgu
Lecce originally acquired Dorgu from Nordsjaelland in his native country, where he was yet to make his first-team debut.
He spent a year in the Italian side’s academy ranks, but once he was promoted into the Lecce first team, there were no second thoughts as he went on to record 34 appearances between Serie A and the Coppa Italia last season.
The teenager’s potential has long since attracted some clubs of serious stature – with his agent namedropping Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona before he had even made his Lecce debut – while he made his senior international debut for Denmark during the September break.
This season, he has split his gametime between playing as a left-back or a right winger, developing his output considerably.
Lecce will hope to benefit from their faith in his potential, with Dorgu a candidate to become their record sale when he leaves (eclipsing Morten Hjulmand after his €19.5m move to Sporting CP in 2023).
For now, he remains under contract until 2029. It seems unlikely he will stay at Lecce for all that time, with a big club almost certainly in his destiny.
