Manchester United have reportedly “reached an agreement” with Lecce to sign 20-year-old wing-back Patrick Dorgu with “immediate” effect, according to a report from Italy.
Solo Lecce, an Italian outlet, reveals the Red Devils have struck a deal with the Serie A side to sign Dorgu in a deal worth an initial €35 million, with a further €5 million in potential add-ons.
The report states these €5 million in add-ons will be contingent on United achieving Champions League qualification in the next two years and the number of appearances Dorgu makes for his new club.
From the outset of negotiations between the two teams, Lecce were thought to be adamant they would only accept a proposal for the Danish international worth around €40 million.
Old Trafford officials saw two separate proposals rejected which fell short of this valuation. However, there was optimism that a deal would still be struck with United reported to be “confident” of an agreement imminently.
Now, it appears, a compromise which suits both parties has been reached. And while Solo Lecce are far from leading experts in football transfers, the outlet was the first to report the initial meeting between United and Lecce over Dorgu’s potential transfer.
United have been desperate to add a new left wing-back to Ruben Amorim’s squad this month with the 39-year-old coach struggling to implement his trademark 3-4-3 system without one.
Neither Luke Shaw nor Tyrell Malacia have proved capable of offering Amorim the skillset he needs from a wing-back, forcing him to deploy Diogo Dalot out of position on the left.
The 25-year-old defender – a right-footed right-back – has, naturally, struggled in this unfamiliar berth, and the team’s attacking thrust and width has suffered as a result.
Dorgu is a left-footed wing-back who has also regularly featured for Lecce on the right-wing this season. This positional versatility will be attractive to Amorim, who often prefers deploying wing-backs on their ‘opposite’ foot, as he has done with Amad this season.
Dorgu is also a physical monster, standing 6’2 with excellent strength and speed attributes – two areas which are severely deficient in the current United squad.
As such, it’s clear why United’s head coach has been pushing for this signing after personally approving Dorgu as a target. And, if we trust the report coming out of Italy today, Amorim is set to welcome his first new signing to Old Trafford imminently.
Featured image Gabriele Maltinti via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
