Manchester United edge closer to Patrick Dorgu signing amid Fabrizio Romano’s latest update

Manchester United are seemingly edging closer to the signing of Patrick Dorgu this month as they draw closer to Lecce’s January transfer demand.

Manchester United are focusing on signing a new left wing-back for Rúben Amorim in the January transfer window, as defensive struggles continue to undermine their performances.

United’s inability to defend set pieces has been a persistent issue under Amorim, prompting the need for reinforcements. The left-back position has been singled out as an area in urgent need of improvement.

Luke Shaw, the club’s long-time left-back, has battled recurring injuries since suffering a double leg fracture during a Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven in 2015.

Tyrell Malacia, Shaw’s backup, recently returned after a gruelling 17-month recovery from a serious knee injury that required multiple surgeries.

In the meantime, Diogo Dalot has been covering on the left, though Amorim has acknowledged that the Portuguese defender is far more effective in his natural position on the right.

United willing to pay £30m for Dorgu

In the last few days, United have been closely linked with Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu, with the club having an idea that he fits the profile of Amorim’s left wing-back position.

According to a new report from Corriere dello Sport, United are now ready to commit as much as £30 million (including bonuses) to the transfer of Dorgu, which is an increase on what they were willing to pay previously.

The report states that representatives of United will travel to Milan on Tuesday to engage in direct talks with Lecce surrounding the potential deal, as well as to sit down with Napoli regarding a potential deal for Alejandro Garnacho.

In recent weeks, Garnacho has been subject to interest from both Napoli and Chelsea, with United needing to raise funds due to their current financial peril.

United and Napoli battling it out for Dorgu

According to Italian transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Lecce are looking for between £29-34 million for Dorgu, and United’s new number gets them within that range.

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“Man United will be in Italy in the next hours to meet not just for Garnacho but also for Patrick Dorgu to understand the situation with Lecce,” he said on his YouTube channel.

“They want something around 35-40 million euros for the possibility of selling Patrick Dorgu immediately in the general transfer window.”

According to Gianluca di Marzio, Napoli are also closing in on agreement with Lecce for Dorgu that would see the player join the Naples outfit but then be loaned back to the Serie A side for the remainder of the season.

However, according to Di Marzio, if United were to lodge a bid of around £34 million, the situation would completely change.

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