Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed a key reason behind Manchester United’s move to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in January.
Dorgu was Man Utd’s only big-money signing during the winter transfer window. They invested around £25m plus add-ons to sign the left wing-back from Serie A outfit Lecce.
The Red Devils prioritised signing a left wing-back in January as they lacked a natural fit in this position for Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia plagued by injury, Diogo Dalot and/or Noussair Mazraoui have often been used out of position at left wing-back under Amorim.
Man Utd were linked with several potential targets, including Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras. Despite this, the Premier League giants made 20-year-old Dorgu their leading option.
READ: January transfer window losers: Manchester United, Leicester, Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool fans
Dorgu should come straight into Man Utd’s first XI and will get plenty of game time during the run-in as he’ll make Amorim’s side more balanced.
The youngster made 57 senior appearances for Lecce, grabbing five goals and two assists. The versatile defender is also capable of playing on the right flank as he’s been used in various roles this season.
Romano has revealed that the defender will only earn £40,000 per week, though his ‘salary will grow’ as he gets deeper into his contract. He has also noted a key factor behind Man Utd’s decision to sign Dorgu in January.
He said: “Patrick Dorgu will start earning £40k a week at Man United, then his salary will grow in the final seasons.
“Man United wanted to get the deal done in January as they were aware of Napoli and Juventus both keen on Dorgu for the summer transfer window.”
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Speaking on his move to Man Utd, Dorgu insisted head coach Amorim’s influence tempted him to join the Premier League side.
“It’s a huge club, it’s the biggest club in England,” Dorgu said in his first interview since joining Man Utd.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the new manager, Ruben. I feel this will suit me very well, so I’m excited to be here.”
He added: “I’ve heard only good stuff about him.”
Vowing to “bring a lot of intensity” to Man Utd, he continued: “For me it’s the most important thing, because there’s a lot of talking around football.
“You really need to be strong outside of football. When I’ve been in Italy, I lived alone. You need to be really good mentally to stay focused and be concentrating on football.”
