Patrick Dorgu’s former coach, Jens Fonnskov Olsen, has urged the Lecce left-back to resist temptation and avoid joining Manchester United in the January transfer window. Ruben Amorim has reportedly pinpointed Dorgu as the priority target of his mammoth rebuild at Old Trafford in a bid to solve a pressing problem position.
United could agree a deal with Lecce to sign the talented 20-year-old imminently, having already seen a £25million approach rebuffed.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils plan to submit an improved offer within the next day and are confident it will satisfy the Serie A strugglers.
However, FC Nordsjaelland boss Olsen, who was Dorgu’s coach in the Under-19 Denmark team, doesn’t want him to land in Manchester.
The 49-year-old has significant reservations over whether United is a suitable environment for his development amid a turbulent transition period under the INEOS regime.
“If I have to be a little cheeky, I hope he chooses something other than Manchester United right now,” Olsen told Tipsbladet.
“I don’t know if it’s a bad fit, but they’re just in a period where… I don’t know if you can afford to say no to United, but maybe somewhere where there’s a little more structure and where things fit in with his pace.
“Sometimes things have to go in the right order if you can say it like that.”
It’s been a mixed year for Sir Jim Ratcliffe since purchasing 29 per cent of the club last February at the start of a revamp that dwarfs any such thing a manager faces.
The British billionaire inherited an operational mess from the Glazer family and has sanctioned a series of unpopular decisions to save United from financial ruin.
Some calls have been rash, while others, like allowing Erik ten Hag to continue as manager beyond the summer, have raised scepticism about INEOS’ credentials for running a football club.
In December 2023, Ten Hag said: “We are looking forward, I think it’s positive for the club that they are stepping in.
“They have a lot of experience in sport at the highest level, F1, the cycling team, other football clubs, so it can only help and support us to get our targets.
“So we are looking forward. They want to work with us, and we want to work with them.”
However, sentiment has since soured. Ratcliffe is already the subject of fan protests due to the club’s decision to increase all remaining ticket prices this season to £66, removing concessions.
On the pitch, United endured the worst start to the season in their history after the new hierarchy’s first summer transfer window harvested mixed results.
Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt have proved useful signings, while there is optimism that Manuel Ugarte will continue to thrive under Amorim.
Joshua Zirkzee likely wouldn’t have been recruited had Amorim been at the helm a few months earlier, though, and Leny Yoro is still very young.
There is confidence that United’s results will continue to improve once the Portuguese head coach signs players with traits that suit his system.
Dorgu undoubtedly fits the mould, but one of his former coaches can’t be blamed for airing his concerns.
