Ruben Amorim is looking to transform the Manchester United squad in the January transfer window, with Patrick Dorgu reportedly on his shopping list.
Since Ruben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford, it’s safe to say results and performances have been underwhelming, with little sign of improvements since the Erik ten Hag era.
Amorim insists he knows how to fix Man United, and the transfer window surely presents the Portuguese coach with the perfect opportunity to turn things around.
One area of the Manchester United squad he appears to be looking at is at left-back, and Patrick Dorgu looks like the prime target for Amorim this month.
But, who is Patrick Dorgu exactly? United In Focus have the lowdown on the player, from his career stats to all the latest transfer talk, and much more.
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Patrick Dorgu’s career to date
Patrick Dorgu began his career in his native Denmark with FC Nordsjaelland, developing through their youth ranks. He never actually made a senior first-team appearance for the club, though.
Having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Italian side Lecce, Dorgu did enough to impress and earned himself a permanent move to the Serie A outfit in the summer of 2023. It is thought that deal cost as little as €200,000 (roughly £169,000).
That’s proven to be an absolute bargain for Lecce, who have gotten close to a century of games out of the youngster already, with a handful of goals and assists to boot.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecce | 56 | 5 | 2 |
| Lecce B | 38 | 4 | 0 |
| FC Nordsjaelland U19 | 22 | 3 | 2 |
| FC Nordsjaelland reserves | 3 | 0 | 0 |
And, judging by the rumours around his future, Lecce will pocket a massive profit if and when they sell Dorgu, which could be very soon indeed.
Patrick Dorgu market value and current salary explained
According to data from Transfermarkt, Dorgu is currently valued at €20m (£16.92m), but Lecce certainly seem to value the player higher than that.
Reports suggest Lecce will demand £35m for Dorgu, which, considering his potential and the fact he is still only 20-years-old, could prove to be a fair deal for all involved.
In terms of salary, Dorgu is believed to be on €12,500 (£10,579) per week at Lecce, which equates to €650,000 per year (or roughly £550,000). His current contract runs through to June 2029, as per Capology.
Manchester United links and Patrick Dorgu transfer news
It was initially thought Manchester United wanted to sign Nuno Mendes from PSG to resolve their need for a left-back. With that deal looking unlikely, United have now turned to Dorgu as an alternative.
Any move for the Danish star depends on the club moving Tyrell Malacia on this month, with the full-back keen to get more minutes under his belt elsewhere.
The latest talk suggests Man United are in talks with Lecce about a possible Dorgu deal, after the Red Devils sent scouts to watch him in action and loved what they saw.
For Amorim, a natural left-sided player is seen as the key to making his 3-4-3 system work at Old Trafford, and for that reason, Dorgu has become a top priority target in January.
What kind of player is Patrick Dorgu?
Patrick Dorgu plays predominantly as a left wing-back, and he loves to get forward and support attacking plays, using his pace and athleticism to his advantage, as well as his brilliant vision and creativity.
He can fill any role down the left side of the pitch, dropping deeper to full-back or pushing higher into an out-and-out left wing role if needed. Interestingly, though he is left-footed, Dorgu can also operate as a right winger, cutting inside onto his stronger foot.
Dorgu is a big, strong player who loves battling for the ball — be it on the ground or in the air — and he’s just as effective in defensive situations as he is going forward. He’s particularly adept at tackling and putting in blocks at important moments.
In terms of current players he is comparable to, Dorgu fits a very similar profile to that of Destiny Udogie at Tottenham Hotspur. However, Dorgu himself models his game on Eden Hazard, which is an interesting influence, for sure.
Patrick Dorgu age, height, and weight
Born on October 26, 2004, Patrick Dorgu is now 20-years-old. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and represents the Scandinavian country at international level, but he also has Nigerian heritage.
Dorgu stands at 185cm tall and weighs 68kg, making him a tall, lean, physical presence, which he uses to his advantage on the pitch.
Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Chelsea wanted to sign Patrick Dorgu
This interest from Manchester United is nothing new for Dorgu, who has been tracked by a number of Premier League clubs in the past.
Over the summer, Tottenham Hotspur were keen on adding Dorgu to their squad (according to Gazzetta dello Sport), to cover and compete with Udogie. The Lilywhites are still thought to be looking at the Lecce star, but are now behind United in the chase.
Liverpool have also been looking at Dorgu as a possible replacement for Andy Robertson, who appears to be reaching the end of his Anfield career (according to The Mirror).
Chelsea were also mooted as a possible suitor for Dorgu (as per TuttoJuve), but nothing came of that interest. Now, though, we expect to see the youngster bag himself a big move, either this month, or in the summer, with England a likely destination.
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