Manchester United have added Lecce youngster Patrick Dorgu to their shortlist of targets at left wing-back.
This month marks Ruben Amorim’s first transfer window in charge of United and the Portuguese is hoping to receive significant financial backing in the market, with the club languishing down in 13th place in the Premier League.
A number of high-profile players have been linked with moves away from the Theatre of Dreams, including Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee, though Amorim made it clear he wished to keep hold of the Dutch forward after United’s draw at Liverpool.
Meanwhile, INEOS have exploring potential avenues to strengthen Amorim’s first-team squad in order to give the Red Devils the best chance of rising up the table in the second half of the campaign.
Reports this evening claimed United were among the ‘leading contenders’ to secure a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, who has struggled for regular playing time in France this season.
The Old Trafford giants are actively looking to bring in reinforcements at the other end of the pitch, too, with Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens targeted as cover for Andre Onana between the sticks.
But Luke Shaw’s persistent injury struggles over the last two seasons have forced United to make the left side of Amorim’s defence a priority.
While Diogo Dalot has filled in admirably throughout Shaw’s absence from the side, United have drawn up a three-man wishlist of targets for the position, with Lecce’s Dorgu the latest name added, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 20-year-old has been closely watched by United in recent months and is viewed as a cheaper alternative to Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, 21, and PSG’s Nuno Mendes, 22.
Since breaking into Lecce’s first-team in 2023, the £25million-rated Dorgu has established himself as one of the most promising young players in Italian football and United are not alone in monitoring the Denmark international.
It’s understood Dorgu, who recently extended his contract with Lecce until 2029, is also on Napoli’s radar.
Last month, Lecce sporting director Pantaleo Corvino insisted Dorgu would be going nowhere in the January transfer window.
‘Dorgu is a potential champion. Correction: he is a champion,’ Corvino told Gazzetta dello Sport.
On the left or right wing, he runs like three players and can find the goal. He has an engine that no one else has.
‘A player like him has admirers, of course, and there are plenty of them, even abroad.
‘But Dorgu will stay here, and then we’ll talk about it in the summer, because his destiny is already set – his future belongs to him.’
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