The 20-year-old Dane had previously been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona after impressing in Serie A
Ruben Amorim has made no secret of the fact that the current Manchester United squad is not at the level that he requires to be a success at Old Trafford. Whether it is by bombing out big names such as Marcus Rashford, or dubbing this Red Devils side the "worst in United history", it's clear that the Portuguese wants fresh faces so as to make his vision a reality as soon as possible.
The Red Devils have, unsurprisingly, been linked with a number of players since Amorim's arrival, including plenty from his former club, Sporting CP. But United's first senior signing of the Amorim era has actually arrived from Italy after the arrival of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce was confirmed on Sunday.
Though far from a household name, Dorgu has impressed plenty in Italy since breaking into the Lecce first team at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, while a recent switch in position suggests that the Denmark international may be able to find a role in Amorim's favoured 3-4-2-1 formation at the Theatre of Dreams.
So who is Dorgu, and does he have what it takes to help usher in a new period of success for United? GOAL has the lowdown on the Red Devils' new £25 million ($31m) signing:
Where it all began
The son of Nigerian parents but born and raised in Denmark, Dorgu is a product of the excellent work being done at under-age level by FC Nordsjaelland, who were formally taken over by a group led by Right to Dream academy owner Tom Vernon in 2016. Under Vernon's leadership, the Superliga side have become synonymous with developing young talent, and in the last six years alone, FCN have made more than €50m (£44m/$53m) by selling homegrown players.
However, Dorgu was snapped up by Lecce for just €200,000 (£175,000/$210,000) – and it quickly became clear that renowned sporting director Pantaleo Corvino had pulled off another bargain buy. In his very first season in Italy, Dorgu played a pivotal role in his new club winning a first Primavera (Under-19s) league title for 19 years, scoring four times in 33 appearances.
Realising that they had a real gem on their hands, Lecce promptly extended Dorgu's contract until 2027 amid reports that he was already receiving admiring glances from elsewhere in Europe. Then-senior team coach Roberto D'Aversa also added the teenager to his first-team squad during the summer of 2023, and Dorgu impressed in a number of pre-season friendlies.
AdvertisementThe big break
Dorgu effectively began the 2023-24 campaign as understudy to first-choice left-back Antonino Gallo. However, the latter was forced off just 15 minutes into Lecce's season-opener, a Coppa Italia first-round clash with Como at the Stadio Via del mare.
Dorgu took his unexpected chance to shine with aplomb, not only defending diligently throughout but also teeing up Pontus Almqvist for the game's only goal. The following week, he made his first start in Serie A, against Lazio, and impressed again as Lecce pulled off a shock 2-1 win.
"If I picked him against Lazio, it means that I believe in him. His qualities are evident," D'Aversa told reporters. "But now we must give him time to grow and to make mistakes."
Mistakes, though, proved few and far between for Dorgu, who ended the season having made 34 appearances in all competitions while eventually usurping Gallo in the starting line up as Luca Gotti replaced D'Aversa following his sacking in March 2024.
Getty Images SportHow it's going
Dorgu fully established himself as one of the young stars of Serie A having started every game bar one (which he missed due to suspension) for Lecce in 2024-25 before his switch to United. What has been particularly impressive about his campaign thus far, however, is how well he has adapted to a new position.
While Dorgu can still be found at left-back from time to time, he has increasingly been deployed as a right-winger by both Gotti and, after he was sacked in November, new coach Marco Giampaolo. Dorgu has found being able to cut inside onto his left foot in attacking areas a real benefit to his game, with him having scored three goals from the position thus far.
Dorgu also made his international bow in September, and marked his Denmark debut with a goal against Switzerland despite being given just nine minutes off the bench to make an impact on the Nations League encounter.
Getty Images SportBiggest strengths
Dorgu was at an advantage even before arriving at Lecce, as he already had the strength and build of a senior player. However, he's also more advanced, technically, than many of his peers. He reads the game well, has good vision and is highly adept at using his dribbling skills and crossing ability to hurt opponents.
That has become more pronounced amid his switch from a defensive role to that of an attacker, and Gotti admitted towards the end of last season that he could see a Gareth Bale-esque transition coming for Dorgu as he continues his development.
"He seems to have great adaptability," Gotti to . "He enjoys playing on the pitch. Important people from the football world are starting to call me to ask me what I see… (Bale) became a forward. He could have played as a full-back. This could happen with Dorgu."
