Patrick Dorgu will complete a €30 million guaranteed move to Manchester United from Italian club Lecce, and become the first significant signing of Ruben Amorim for the club.
The highly rated Danish left-back has made waves since joining Lecce from Danish club Nordsjælland in the summer of 2022, and now departs for United as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.
As a move to one of the most decorated clubs in the world nears, fans have been eager to learn more about the 20-year-old, who has made Ruben Amorim fall for his charms.
In this article, Oltsport journalist Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi takes us through some of the incredible facts you need to know about the new left-back at Manchester United, who the club hopes will finally end their struggles in the position.
Who is Patrick Dorgu?
With a full name of Patrick Chinaza Dorgu, it gives him away as a player of Nigerian descent. Born on October 26, 2004, in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he started the trade at a very young age.
Husum Boldklub, a neighborhood club in Copenhagen, was his first club. His talent was soon recognized, leading to his recruitment into Nordsjælland’s youth academy, where he played until his move to Lecce in 2022.
Where Did Patrick Dorgu Make His Breakthrough?
Dorgu signed a contract until 2027 at Lecce in 2022 but had to wait a year before his professional debut. That season, 2023/24, marked his promotion to Lecce’s senior team.
His professional debut came on August 13, 2023, in a Coppa Italia match against Como, followed by his Serie A debut against Lazio a week later.
By the start of year 2024, he already became a regular under Roberto D’Aversa, putting in consistent performances and was finally rewarded with his first professional goal in a 3-2 comeback win over Fiorentina in February, netting an injury time winner to seal the result.
Dorgu has gone on to score four more goals for Lecce, while assisting two others. His rise has also earned him international recognition, and he made his debut for Denmark in August 2024.
The new Manchester United youngster came on for the final nine minutes in a UEFA Nations League meeting with Switzerland, and scored the second goal to seal a 2-0 win on his debut.
He has made three more appearances for the country, which includes a start in the stalemate away to Switzerland back on October, where he played 86 minutes and won the most duels.
Playing Style and Attributes
Dorgu is renowned for his physicality, speed, and technical skills – defensively, you’ve seen him in Aaron Wan Bissaka while in attack, you’ll see more once he starts representing Manchester United.
His ability to contribute both defensively and offensively makes him a modern full-back. He has also been utilized as a winger, which would give Amorim extra option as United appear short of options in attack heading into the second part of the season.
He is a work horse, and eat up ground like a beast, combines dribbling and speed, yet he is a monster in duels. He brings to the club the toughness they need to portray defensively, and good for him he arrives in the hands of a manager with clue on how to best deploy him.
Dorgu is an excellent ball carrier. His speed helps him accelerate past challenges and beat press. He is a strong boy, with tough mentality and has what is requires to succeed at a high profile club.
The Potential Risk at Manchester United
Patrick Dorgu’s rawness could pose challenges for him at Manchester United – yet this is only an assumption but not a fact. In addition that he is coming to a non steadied environment could contribute to altering his progress.
While his athleticism and technical ability are undeniable, his tactical awareness and decision-making under pressure remain areas for refinement.
At Lecce, he enjoys the freedom to attack, but in the Premier League, defensive discipline is crucial, even so for a Manchester United side that has been shambles defensively.
His new demanding environment offers little room for mistakes, and Dorgu may struggle with positioning against elite wingers. A consolation is that he has been impressive when up against the heavyweights in the Serie A.
Moreso, adapting to the physicality and tempo of English football will take time. Without patience and proper coaching, his raw talent could be exposed rather than refined at such an elite club undergoing a rough patch.
His early days may be filled with inconsistency as it is the hallmark of the club he moves to at the moment. However, should Ruben Amorim be successful in molding him into the player demanded, he could go on to become a very pivotal player at the club.
Impressive injury record
Notably, Dorgu has maintained an impressive injury-free record over seven years, which is quite a relief for Manchester United, who have seen their investments on left-backs, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, go down the drain due to injuries.
Dorgu will undergo his Manchester United medical this weekend and will officially become a Manchester United player next week. He will be available to debut in the Emirates FA Cup meeting with Leicester City on Friday.
Although Patrick Dorgu is undeniably talented, his fate has now intertwined with that of Manchester United, and the success of one will reciprocate that of the other.
His numbers does shows that he will definitely be an upgrade on the current crop at Manchester United, given the hits the ground running and remain consistent. Compared to Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui who have played the fullback positions under Ruben Amorim at United, Dorgu does appears a better option.
It remains to be seen whether the Danish international, who was once on the radar of Chelsea, has made the right decision by joining Manchester United.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
