January 28th 2025.
Last year, Alvaro Fernandez made the decision to leave Manchester United and join Benfica. Despite his previous time with the club, the star is not currently considering a return to United during the January transfer window. While the team is facing financial limitations this month, they are still hoping to add a left-sided player to their lineup who can seamlessly fit into Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system.
The first choice for United is Lecce player Patrick Dorgu, a talented Danish international. However, Lecce is holding out for a hefty fee of €40million, which United is hoping to negotiate down before the transfer window closes on February 3rd. As an alternative, United is also considering bringing back Alvaro Fernandez, who left Old Trafford last year after a successful loan spell that was made permanent by Benfica in the summer.
Despite not making a single senior appearance for United, Fernandez has excelled in the Portuguese top flight and has become a key player for Benfica this season. United does have a buyback option on the 21-year-old, which is reportedly valid until January 2026. However, sources close to the player have revealed that Fernandez's preference is to finish the season with Benfica and is not considering a move during this transfer window.
Currently, United's main focus is on signing Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. The 20-year-old has been with the Italian side for two seasons now, joining from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland for a modest fee of £175,000. Lecce is currently facing a tough relegation battle, with only two points separating them from 13th place, and they are determined to hold onto Dorgu, who has been a crucial player for them this season.
Club president Saverio Sticchi Damiani has made it clear that Lecce's priority is to keep their key players, including Dorgu, until the end of the season. He stated that they are trying to resist any sales, as it is in their best interest to keep the players who have been instrumental in the team's success so far. Therefore, their current stance is to not sell anyone during this January transfer window.
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