February 1st 2025.
It seems that Manchester United is close to announcing the arrival of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. The 20-year-old full-back has caught the attention of many, including former Arsenal player Paul Merson. Merson expressed his concern about the lack of interest from top Italian clubs in Dorgu, giving United a clear path to sign him this winter.
After a few failed attempts, United finally sealed the deal for Dorgu with a transfer fee of around £29 million. The young Dane flew to Manchester this morning to undergo a medical and is expected to become the first signing of Ruben Amorim's tenure. United had identified the left side of their defence as a priority for the January transfer window, especially with Luke Shaw's injury troubles and Diogo Dalot having to switch flanks.
The Red Devils are confident that Dorgu's abilities align with Amorim's preferred 3-4-3 system and he is a more affordable option compared to other targets like Nuno Mendes and Milos Kerkez. However, Merson believes that the lack of interest from top Italian clubs should raise some concerns for United fans. He pointed out that if big clubs like Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli, and AC Milan are not pursuing Dorgu, it is a bit strange.
Merson also used the example of Rasmus Hojlund, who joined United from Atalanta for a hefty fee but has not lived up to expectations. He believes that the lack of interest from top clubs in Italy may have been a warning sign. But he also added that Dorgu can't do any worse and it remains to be seen how he will perform at Old Trafford.
Lecce's manager, Marco Giampaolo, also confirmed that Dorgu will soon be joining United, saying that he will be in Manchester the next day. He praised Dorgu as a splendid boy and stated that he gave his all for Lecce. Giampaolo also mentioned that at the age of 20, Dorgu has a great opportunity ahead of him and it wouldn't be fair to hold him back.
In other transfer news, United are still looking for attacking reinforcements and Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel has emerged as a possible target. Tel had previously rejected Tottenham, but United may have a chance at signing him. On the other hand, Marcus Rashford is expected to leave Old Trafford, with Aston Villa being the favorites to secure his signature. Other clubs like AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and West Ham have also shown interest in the English forward since he expressed his desire for a new challenge in December.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
