Man Utd transfer target told to reject Old Trafford move in blow to Ruben Amorim
Patrick Dorgu, who is reportedly on the brink of signing for Manchester United, has been advised to turn down a move to Old Trafford by his former coach. The 20-year-old is anticipated to be Ruben Amorim's inaugural signing as United manager, with a £33million transfer from Lecce close to being finalised.
Despite having less than 70 senior matches under his belt, Dorgu appears poised to be thrust into the spotlight as the solution to the Red Devils' wing-back issues. A high-profile move to United may seem like a dream come true, but if FC Nordsjlland manager Jens Olsen's remarks are anything to go by, the Denmark international might want to reconsider.
Olsen, who coached Dorgu while managing Denmark's U19s team, has urged the defender to reject the 13-time Premier League champions, pointing to the club's ongoing difficulties both on and off the field. "If I have to be a little cheeky. I hope he chooses something other than Manchester United right now," he told Tipsbladet.
"I don't know if it's a bad fit, but they're just in a period where... I don't know if you can afford to say no to United, but maybe somewhere where there's a little more structure and where things fit in with his pace," Olsen added. "Sometimes things have to go in the right order, if you can say it like that."
United have had a dismal start to the domestic season, with 11 losses in all competitions so far. They're also struggling to break into the top half of the Premier League table, having spent nearly the entire campaign in 10th place or lower.
Off-field issues are equally troubling. The club is grappling with fears of violating the Premier League's Financial Fair Play rules, while leadership instability exacerbates the chaos. Dan Ashworth, the former sporting director, stepped down after only five months, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has implemented a series of severe cost-cutting measures, further stoking uncertainty about the club's future.
Dorgu, capable of playing on both flanks, has primarily been deployed on the left side of a back four at Lecce, but is expected to be utilised slightly more forward in the left wing-back role in Amorim's squad. This position, along with right wing-back, is vital to the Portuguese coach's 3-4-3 system, and strengthening these areas is high on United's transfer priority list.
Right-footed players like Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have been shoehorned into the left wing-back role over the past couple of months, namely due to Luke Shaw's persistent injury issues and questions about Tyrell Malacia's ability. Meanwhile, similar personnel issues exist on the right, with forward Amad occasionally filling in.
Dorgu honed his skills at Nordsjlland's academy for two years before making a move to Lecce in 2022. He made his first team debut in 2023 and has since made 57 appearances for the Serie A club, netting five goals.
He also made an impressive debut for Denmark against Switzerland last year, scoring the winning goal with his first touch just 42 seconds into the game. The Copenhagen-born star, who could have chosen to play for Nigeria, has so far earned four caps for Denmark.
