Manchester United are on the brink of securing Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu. The left-back is poised to be the first signing under new United manager Ruben Amorim.
Although a deal for the 20-year-old is advancing, contrary to reports in Italy, Dorgu is not expected to travel to Manchester today.
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia’s fitness proving unreliable due to long-term injuries, Amorim has prioritised recruiting a left wing-back this transfer window.
Dorgu’s impending arrival at United, in a deal worth £29.4million, could spell the end for Malacia at United, reports the Daily Mirror. Real Betis, who recently loaned United winger Antony, are among the Dutchman’s potential suitors.
Shaw returned to training on Wednesday as United prepared to fly to Bucharest for their Europa League clash with Steaua on Thursday.
He has been sidelined since December due to injury, managing only three substitute appearances this season against Ipswich Town, Bodo/Glimt and Everton. His last start was England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. Shaw’s return to the training pitch marked his first appearance on the grass since early December.
The left-back position has proven to be a significant issue for new boss Amorim, who has had to rely on Diogo Dalot to fill in during Shaw’s absence, keeping Malacia waiting in the wings – and who now finds himself in the shop window at Old Trafford.
Amorim has not been shy about his high hopes for Shaw, whom he views as potentially pivotal in his 3-4-2-1 system. Back in December, Amorim expressed his support for Shaw, saying: “What I said to him, as a coach is, that since I am here, I saw him in the medical department. I saw him in the gym. I saw him losing weight. I saw him training. So he did everything right.
“Sometimes, when you have one or two injuries, it’s really hard to recover. If he continues with this behaviour, doing everything he can, I will be here. All the staff will be here, as long as it takes. We believe a lot in him, he’s so important for our team.”
Amorim also emphasized Shaw’s significance for the future of the team, stating, “For the future, I see in this team, Luke is a very important player for us.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror
Content Source: www.express.co.uk