The Football Faithful
·28 January 2025
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·28 January 2025
Man United have a ‘growing belief’ they can get a deal done for Patrick Dorgu as ‘talks continue’ over a transfer fee with Lecce.
The Red Devils are keen to sign a new left-back in the January window given the injury problems sustained by Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, who could leave the club on loan this week.
Dorgu is their number one target as, crucially, he can also play wing-back, a position which is important in manager Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.
The two clubs are locked in negotiations over the structure of a deal in the region of £30 million, according to Sky Sports News.
Man United are said to have pushed for an opening figure of £25.4m plus £4.2m, but Lecce want a package closer to £38m for the 20-year-old.
The Denmark international wants to join the Premier League club and personal terms are not expected to be an issue, but the Italian outfit are reluctant to part ways with the defender.
Over the weekend Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani told Sky Italia: “On the subject of the outgoing market, we have already said that the club is putting up its own resistance, which I believe is logical. We have an interest in retaining the key players and this is linked to doing logical and common-sense things. Up until now, our idea is not to let anyone leave”.
However, Man United are willing to ‘walk away’ if the are not satisfied with the deal and have identified alternative left-backs they could sign by transfer deadline day. They could trigger the buy-back clause for Benfica’s Alvaro Fernandez if an agreement cannot be reached for Dorgu. The Spaniard joined the Primeira Liga club for €6 million last January.
Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Rayan Ait-Nouri of Wolves are cited as possible targets, while PSG’s Nuno Mendes and Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth are ‘seemingly unattainable’ in this window.
Meanwhile, Ayden Heaven is set to join Man United after the 18-year-old rejected a new deal from Arsenal and approached from Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Fabrizio Romano.