Patrick Dorgu to Manchester United: Stats, playing style & Bale comparison explained | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim is close to making his first signing as Manchester United manager, bringing in full-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce for £25 million.

Dorgu is set to land in Manchester over the weekend to complete his medical tests, before signing a long-term contract with the Premier League giants.

Who is Patrick Dorgu?

Dorgu grew up in Denmark and began his footballing journey at FC Nordsjælland’s youth academy. He has represented the Danish national team as a youth player and made his debut for the senior side in September 2024.

He joined Lecce’s academy in July 2022 for around just £160,000. Just over a year later he broke into the senior team and was used almost exclusively at left-back for the rest of the 2023.

Toward the end of this breakthrough season he was fielded in a range of more attacking positions — a trend that continued into the current campaign.

In 21 Serie A appearances in 2024-25, Dorgu has started most often on the right wing (10 apps). However, in recent weeks he has settled back into the left-back position, starting six of his last seven Serie A appearances there since mid-December.

It’s expected Amorim will use him as a wing-back in his 3-4-2-1 setup at United, where he’d compete with the out-of-position Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw once he returns from injury.

Is Dorgu good enough for Man United?

Dorgu has scored three Serie A goals from open play this season, the most of any Lecce player, along with the joint-most dribbles completed (13). He is also second in the squad for shots (36) and chances created (19).

Defensively, he has made more tackles (45) than any Lecce player this season. Standing at 6ft 1in, he is an imposing presence and is highly regarded for his relentless work rate and ability to cover great distances on the pitch.

United are finally getting some much-needed physicality in their squad, which is vital for Amorim’s intense tactical approach.

Dorgu’s physicality and above-average speed make him a formidable ball carrier too – a desirable trait for a wing-back tasked with covering all 130 yards of the touchline.

That said, a tendency to make rash challenges is one potential weakness in his game. He’s recorded 22 challenges lost in Serie A this season, which Opta define as a ‘challenge that did not make any contact with the ball’. Only a handful of Serie A players have done this more times this season.

His ball retention is a potential point of concern, too. He has been dispossessed 37 times in Serie A, putting him in the bottom three percent of players in Italy’s top flight.

“Bale became a forward… this could happen with Dorgu”

But at just 20 years old, this flaw can be ironed out through experience. United are signing Dorgu for his potential, which has been the subject of one exciting comparison.

In the past, former Lecce head coach Luca Gotti discussed the similarities between Dorgu and a young Gareth Bale, having revealed that he advised Napoli to sign the Welshman from Spurs before he was converted into an attacker.

“[Dorgu] seems to have great adaptability,” he told Calciomercato last spring. “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.”

For the time being, though, Dorgu will likely be playing where Man Utd need him: at wing-back.

Dorgu’s shortfalls are largely symptomatic to those of a less experienced footballer. He’s played fewer than 3,000 minutes as professional and just over one-and-a-half seasons.

He will be thrown into the deep end at a United side who are struggling to crack into the top half of the Premier League table.

But, at his core, Dorgu is a workhorse; his high work rate and impressive physical metrics are unteachable. Even if he was not so effective in the final third, he could earn a living simply by being able to run his legs off for 90 minutes. You cannot doubt the potential of a player with Dorgu’s mentality.