Manchester United have waited until the very end of the mid-season transfer window to make their first senior signing under Rúben Amorim, but they have finally announced the arrival of Patrick Dorgu. The young Dane will be expected to have an immediate impact in helping plug a glaring gap in the Red Devils’ squad.
By Neel Shelat
Despite their shaky form going into and throughout the month of January, Manchester United never seemed to be in a rush to make new signings. In fact, there were hardly any reports of them even negotiating potential deals before they went in for Patrick Dorgu, whom they ended up signing for €30 million after a bit of back and forth.
United fans certainly have a lot of reasons to be excited about the Danish international’s arrival, but how much of an immediate impact he can have remains to be seen. While he has shown all the signs of having the potential to grow into an excellent player, he might not necessarily offer the best solutions for the various pressing issues in Amorim’s side.
Promising traits
Putting Manchester United’s current plight aside for a moment, it is quite easy to see why there is so much excitement around Dorgu in general.
The 20-year-old Dane did not take long to establish himself as a regular starter after getting his senior breakthrough at the start of the last season with Lecce. His exceptional versatility certainly helped his cause as his ability to play pretty much any position on both wings enabled him to consistently find a spot in the starting XI.
The main reason Dorgu is able to do a job in all of these various positions is that he has all the physical traits needed to excel on the wing. The young Dane has remarkable endurance, which is why he has played 1,840 out of a possible 2,070 league minutes this season in some of the most demanding roles on the pitch. He also possesses a serious turn of pace which he can use both to leave defenders in the dust going forward and to track back and support his side’s defensive effort.
Unlike many speedsters, the 20-year-old wide man does not mind getting stuck into physical challenges. He contests quite a high volume of duels and comes out on top in a good chunk of them, though he could yet improve his win rate by picking his battles a bit more carefully.
Dorgu also is an excellent ball-carrier as he uses his speed to rapidly advance up the pitch. Although he is not a take-on specialist, he is incredibly tough to stop once he gets past a defender. He also makes smart forward runs in transition and consistently gets the ball into dangerous areas.
All things considered, the young Dane already is quite a handy all-round wide player, and of course, he has a lot of time to get better yet.
Clear fit in Amorim’s system
At the time of Rúben Amorim’s appointment, we highlighted the various misfits in Manchester United’s squad for his favoured 3-4-3 system. The wing-back positions were always likely to be a big pain point as he was forced to pick between more conservative full-backs and defensively shaky wingers in those roles.
Players of Dorgu’s profile – someone who is equally capable going both ways – are exactly what the Portuguese tactician needs, so he certainly should be happy with this signing. The main decision for him will now be which flank he uses the former Nordsjælland youth prospect on.
Despite being right-footed, Dorgu spent the majority of his playing time on the left side of Lecce’s defence. United’s squad is also weakest in the left wing back spot as Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia’s persistent unavailability has forced the likes of Diogo Dalot and Nouassair Mazraoui to plug the gap, so that position appears to be the clearest opening for the Danish international.
Is this the best move for both parties?
Lecce certainly cannot be displeased about their club-record sale, but both Manchester United and Dorgu might have some slight concerns about each other.
For all his promising traits, the 20-year-old Dane is far from the finished product. He has a good deal of development to do before he can be considered a top-class player, and he particularly needs to sharpen up in the aspects that Manchester United are lacking in right now.
Perhaps the biggest weakness in Dorgu’s game right now is his lack of end product in the final third. While he gets into great positions quite consistently, he leaves a good deal to be desired with his decision-making. He is a pretty trigger-happy shooter and does get good power on his efforts, but his accuracy is far from the best. His creative output is quite low, as he has created less than one chance per 90 on average this season.
Evidently, Dorgu cannot be expected to instantly reinvigorate Manchester United’s misfiring attack. Since he needs time to develop naturally, the Red Devils might have been better off bringing in a more experienced campaigner who would promise an instant impact.
At the same time, Dorgu might also be a little worried by the amount of experimentation Amorim has done in a bid to get his side to click. The most drastic of his measures were taken this weekend when the former Sporting coach benched both of his recognised forwards to deploy Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine, though it is safe to say that it did not quite work as he might have envisioned.
The prospect of consistent game time at a club of Manchester United’s stature will surely have been a big factor in Dorgu’s decision to move to Old Trafford, so the sight of such unconventional line-ups will not be too reassuring for him. The Red Devils’ recent track record with youth development has also been quite hit-and-miss, and it is unlikely to improve when their general performances are so poor.
So, while this move makes perfect sense on paper as Dorgu looks well on course to become a great player, he might find himself under a bit of pressure to perform immediately to ensure that his career continues on an upward trajectory.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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