Transfer: 20-Year-Old defender joins Man United from Lecce

Manchester United have secured the signing of Danish defender Patrick Dorgu from Lecce on a five-and-a-half-year contract.

The 20-year-old joins the Premier League club in a deal worth £25 million (€30 million), with an additional £4.1 million (€5 million) in potential add-ons.

Dorgu has featured in 57 matches for Lecce since making his senior debut at the beginning of last season, having initially joined their youth setup in 2022.

“I am incredibly proud to call myself a Manchester United player—this is a very special day for my entire family,” Dorgu said.

“I cannot wait to work with Ruben Amorim. His vision for this team and the future of the club is incredibly exciting. There is a clear plan set out for my development, and I feel that Manchester United is the perfect place to fulfil my potential and complete my huge ambitions.”

Negotiations for Manchester United full-back Tyrell Malacia’s loan move to Benfica have collapsed, ending the prospect of the Dutch defender joining the Portuguese side.

Meanwhile, striker Marcus Rashford is set to undergo a medical at Aston Villa ahead of finalizing a loan move to the Midlands club. Rashford has been sidelined since December 12, when head coach Ruben Amorim dropped him for the Manchester derby.

Dorgu becomes United’s second defensive signing of the transfer window, following the arrival of England Under-19s international Ayden Heaven from Arsenal.

Having progressed through Denmark’s youth ranks, Dorgu made his senior debut in September’s Nations League match against Switzerland, where he scored with his first touch in a 2-0 victory.

Technical director Jason Wilcox said: “Patrick is a really exciting talent. His strong defensive and attacking attributes, adaptability and work-rate will make him a key part of Ruben Amorim’s squad.

“Patrick has had a superb start to his career, and at the age of just 20 we know he will continue to develop under the guidance of our excellent coaching team.”