Who is Manchester United-linked Patrick Dorgu?

Photo: US Lecce - Anza Marco Lezzi

Manchester United are on the hunt for a new left wing-back as they look to recover from what has been one of their worst seasons in history.

Ruben Amorim has not hesitated from mentioning that he needs players that fit his system in order to succeed, and that has been clear from the 15 games he has managed so far, with the wing-backs being particularly crucial. Amorim has often lined up with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as wing-backs, and this set-up has proven too defensive, with the pair being natural full-backs rather than wing-backs.

This has made wing-backs one of the priorities this month, and United have recently been linked with Lecce's young star Patrick Dorgu.

According to multiple reliable reports, United are currently in talks with the Italian side over a potential deal for Dorgu. While there is no agreement, dialogue is progressing for the 20-year-old Dane. Club-to-club talks have already taken place, and there is set to be a direct meeting with Lecce this week.

So, who is Patrick Dorgu?

Born in 2004 in Copenhagen, Dorgu made the move to Italy in 2022 after becoming one of the brightest talents in the FC Nordsjaelland academy.

He made his Lecce debut in August 2023, just six months after signing a long-term senior contract, and has since become a vital part of the first team. He got his first senior Denmark cap in September 2024 in the UEFA Nations League, and scored just a minute after coming on.

This season, Dorgu has played on both the left and right flanks, and has been used in both attacking and defensive positions.

He is a very physical wing-back who is capable of getting past his marker and delivering decent balls into the box. His strength lies in carrying the ball forward, making him ideal for Amorim's system, with the likes of Dalot and Mazraoui often having plenty of space to run deep into the opposition half. However, Dalot constantly cuts in on his right foot, while Mazraoui is more adept at linking up play rather than carrying the ball.

While crossing may not be Dorgu's speciality, he is more than capable of producing a dangerous ball into the six-yard box, especially low-driven ones.

One thing for sure is that he is a top athlete, something that Amorim has called out for, constantly stating that his United side simply does not run enough. This has been evident throughout his time at the club, with some of the standout performers under him being the ones that run the most and cover the most ground, namely Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

He has played a total of 22 games for Lecce in all competitions this season, with the only game that he has missed being one where he was suspended for receiving a straight red card in the game before. In those 22 games, he has scored three goals and provided one assist.

A closer look at Dorgu's league stats this season (via Squawka) when compared to Dalot and Mazraoui shows that he is much more of a threat going forward. He averages 0.9 chances created per 90 minutes, slightly better than Dalot (0.8) and significantly more than Mazraoui (0.5). He also attempts more crosses (1.9 per game) and is more accurate with them (25%).

He is clearly not as strong defensively, but that could be due to him being deployed further forward in the Lecce system on a number of occasions. What would be for sure is that Dorgu would allow Amorim to set United up to operate in a back three just like how he wanted, operating more as a 3-4-3 rather than as a 5-2-3 like what is happening right now.

Photo: Squawka

The issue with Dorgu is that Lecce will not want him to leave, especially with them facing a relegation battle. As a result, the Italian side want around €40 million, which could be too steep for United given their Financial Fair Play restrictions. That price would definitely need to be driven down in negotiations.

With Antony set to join Real Betis on loan, Marcus Rashford set to be on the move, and the likes of Casemiro possibly leaving as well, then there may be some room for United to find some money to spend.