Arsenal legend Paul Merson has sent a worrying message to Manchester United supporters as the club prepares to announce the signing of highly-rated Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu.
The 20-year-old Denmark international is set to become the first major signing of Ruben Amorim’s Old Trafford tenure after the club announced a deal for Arsenal starlet Ayden Heaven earlier on Saturday.
After seeing an initial bid knocked back for Tottenham target Dorgu, United wrapped up a deal worth in the region of £29million with the player flying out to Manchester to undergo a medical at the club.
Amorim identified the left side of his defence as a weakness prior to the winter window opening due to Luke Shaw’s ongoing fitness struggles and Tyrell Malacia’s inability to be available on a regular basis.
Diogo Dalot has been asked to fill in at left wing-back in Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 system, but Dorgu has emerged as a significantly cheaper alternative to the likes of Milos Kerkez and Nuno Mendes at Old Trafford.
However, Merson believes the apparent lack of interest from the bigger clubs in Serie A in Dorgu should give Man Utd supporters cause for concern.
“You know what? I’m always one of them… when someone rips it up or does well in Italy, I always think: if Inter Milan and Juventus and Napoli and AC Milan are not coming for you…” Merson said on Sky Sports News.
When reminded that Napoli had actually been tipped to move for the Dane, mesron replied: “Just Napoli… And they [Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan] are watching him week in, week out over the last year or so, I just find that strange.
“I don’t know why, I just find that strange.”
Merson highlights Hojlund concern in Dorgu chase
Merson, meanwhile, pointed to the example of Rasmus Hojlund, who has struggled to live up to his £64m price tag since swapping Atalanta for United back in the summer of 2023.
“We’ve seen it with Hojlund. Hojlund came for a lot of money and the big boys didn’t go in for him in Italy and look what’s happened,” Merson added.
“He [Hojlund] hasn’t scored a lot of goals and they’ve probably seen that he was too young at the time.
“That would be my only worry [with Dorgu] but he can’t do any worse.”
Meanwhile, Lecce manager Marco Giampaolo confirmed on Friday that it was only a matter of time before Dorgu joined United.
“I think Dorgu will be in Manchester tomorrow [Saturday],” he told reporters shortly after the left-back was seen waving goodbye to Lecce supporters.
“A splendid boy, he gave us everything he had. At 20 you have this opportunity, maybe you also have other thoughts in your head, it didn’t seem right to me to make him play neither for Lecce nor for himself.
“If I needed him, I would have used him, I thought about it but the temptation was brief.”
IN FOCUS – Patrick Dorgu statistics at Lecce this season
