What Patrick Dorgu did at Carrington as possible Manchester United announcement date explained

What Patrick Dorgu did at Manchester United’s Carrington facility on Saturday as a possible transfer announcement date appears.

Manchester United are set to announce the signing of Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu in the coming days as he completes a move from the Serie A giants to Rúben Amorim’s team for an initial £25 million fee.

Under Amorim’s management, United have struggled at the back, with set-piece defending proving to be a major weakness. Strengthening the left-back position was identified as a key priority at the start of this window.

Luke Shaw, the club’s long-time first-choice left-back, has endured persistent injury setbacks since suffering a devastating double leg fracture in a Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven in 2015.

Tyrell Malacia, Shaw’s understudy, has also faced challenges, recently returning from a gruelling 17-month recovery after undergoing multiple surgeries on a severe knee injury, and is reportedly close to joining Benfica on loan.

Diogo Dalot has been covering at left-back in their absence, though Amorim has admitted that the Portuguese full-back is better suited to his natural role on the right-hand side.

What Dorgu did at Carrington on Saturday

After Lecce and United agreed on Dorgu’s transfer for a fee of around £25 million with a further £4.2 million in add-ons, Dorgu flew to Manchester on Saturday morning.

According to multiple reports, the 20-year-old underwent his medical on Saturday afternoon, which he completed and passed on the same day.

It was also revealed by Fabrizio Romano that the young star, in fact, also signed his contract with the club later on the same day, meaning that he is officially a player of Manchester United and the first major signing in Amorim’s tenure, although the club have also signed former Arsenal centre-back Ayden Heaven.

It is entirely possible that Dorgu has also undergone his usual media duties, such as his first official interview and first photos at Old Trafford, ahead of the club’s announcement, although this is just speculative and unconfirmed.

When United could announce Dorgu

With the medical and signings having been completed and Dorgu now an official Manchester United player, the next step is for the club to announce his transfer.

Read More: Manchester United looking to repeat simple transfer trick as Patrick Dorgu medical completed

In the last few years, United have often taken the opportunity to announce players to Old Trafford if a game is being played close to the player’s arrival, with Raphaël Varane, Casemiro, and Rasmus Højlund all being announced by the player walking onto the Old Trafford turf ahead of kick-off.

United are set to host Crystal Palace in a Premier League tie on Sunday afternoon, and the club may choose to take this opportunity to introduce Dorgu to the club’s fans through the same method.

However, there is also the possibility that they may choose to announce the player on either side of the game if they feel they would rather present their new signing on social media first, with his initial moments at Old Trafford therefore likely coming against Leicester City in the FA Cup next Friday.

It’s unlikely that United would wait until later next week to announce the player, as Amorim will be keen for Dorgu to start training with his teammates as soon as possible ahead of said Leicester tie.

Although this is speculative, it feels unlikely that Dorgu’s announcement will come any later than Monday evening, as the full squad will likely return to first-team training on Tuesday morning with the player part of the team.

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