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Published February 6, 2025 11:50am Updated February 6, 2025 11:51am
Manchester United issued an ultimatum to Patrick Dorgu and Lecce to force his move in the January transfer window, according to the Serie A club’s president.
United agreed a €35 million (£29.2m) deal with Lecce in the final week of the January window which saw Dorgu become the first signing of Ruben Amorim’s reign.
Napoli were also in the running to sign Dorgu and the Italian club’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, claimed this week that United paid above the market value to sign the 20-year-old wing-back.
Lecce’s president, Saverio Sticchi Damiani, says the club were desperate to keep Dorgu for the remainder of the season and has revealed that United told both the player and the club that it was ‘now or never’ in order to ensure the transfer went through.
‘It is our record transfer and it happens in our moment of great economic health,’ Damiani said.
‘It was not a planned operation, it was not done to fill critical issues of the past. It brings us wealth from all points of view and the possibility of making technical and structural investments.
‘We said several times that Dorgu would not leave in January, and now I will explain why the opposite happened. Manchester United arrived, who made themselves heard with us and with the boy’s entourage, receiving an official response from us that I leave here, in which we said that we had no intention of letting Dorgu leave in January. And not talking about figures, not asking for increases.
‘This, instead of stopping United, had the opposite effect. Manchester insisted, we asked several times to postpone everything until the summer, also promising the young man that he would not miss the opportunity.
‘For us too it was a historic step, we just wanted to do it in July. The English communicated to us their desire, the club and their coach, to be immediate.
‘There was an ultimatum – ‘now or never’ – also giving this message to the player himself.
‘You cannot judge Dorgu, you are 20 years old and Manchester United come to you with an offer like that. The combination of these factors led us to think that we would have gone from being consistent to being stupidly obstinate.’
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