Patrick Dorgu, who was Ruben Amorim’s first signing at Manchester United, continues to divide opinion.
In January, United prioritised signing Dorgu to help Amorim effectively implement his 3-4-3 system, which relies heavily on wing-backs to create width. The Premier League giants signed the Dane from Lecce in a €30 million deal.
The 20-year-old has impressed with his athleticism and intensity. However, Dorgu only has two assists to his name in 25 appearances for the Red Devils, an underwhelming return considering how much space and time he is afforded in the final third in this tactical setup.
Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming United are interested in Inter Milan left wing-back Federico Dimarco, who has earned plaudits for his attacking contributions.
Manchester United overlooked Carreras
A little over 12 months before United signed Dorgu, they had highly-rated Alvaro Carreras in their ranks, and the then-manager Erik ten Hag was dealing with an injury crisis at left-back.
However, the Dutchman preferred to use the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Victor Lindelof on the left flank over recalling Carreras from Granada. The youngster was eventually recalled from Spain, but only to be loaned out to Benfica, who also secured an option to sign him permanently for €6m.
The Spain U21 international found his footing in Portugal in no time, leading to Benfica exercising their purchase option.
The high-flying left-back enjoyed a promising first full campaign under Bruno Lage, scoring four goals and registering five assists in all competitions.
Carreras becomes undisputed starter at Real Madrid
His former club, Real Madrid, took notice of his intensity and ability to exploit the spaces out wide with a reliable consistency, and spent €50m to bring him back to the Spanish capital ahead of the new season.
Carreras has seamlessly slotted into the left-back position under Xabi Alonso, raising eyebrows with his marauding runs up and down pitch and distribution in possession.
In fact, he has seemingly become an untouchable figure under Alonso alongside Kylian Mbappe and Aurélien Tchouaméni. The Real boss was recently asked to explain his decision behind hardly rotating the trio, who have started all of the first six games.
Speaking about Carreras’ impact, Alonso said: “I was optimistic, but his personality and competitiveness have surprised me in a positive way. He makes very few mistakes and has a great mentality. The impact he’s had has been remarkable. We also have Fran, David, and Ferland for that position, but his performances have been excellent.”
Los Blancos are reported to be astonished by his performances and value their latest recruit at €80m.
As far as United are concerned, Carreras’ display for Real is a reminder of what could have been, especially as Amorim’s side are crying out for a technically proficient and decisive figure out wide, akin to their former talent.
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Vishal Singh
Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!
