Patrick Dorgu’s peak under Carrick’s guidance: from left back to a dangerous winger for Manchester United.
On 26 January 2026, during the intense match where Manchester United, the “Red Devils,” visited Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, one of the most talked-about names was not just the goal scorers but Patrick Dorgu, the young wide attacker. His shift from left back to left winger became a turning point for both him and the team.
This positional change allowed Dorgu to fully unleash his potential and might be the answer to the role he has been seeking throughout his career.
In that game, Dorgu contributed clearly to both attack and defense, boasting a 70 percent pass completion rate along with two successful ball interceptions. This led many Manchester United fans to question if this might be his best position since his time playing in Serie A.
Looking back at Dorgu’s Serie A performance, he played 21 matches, starting all of them, demonstrating his versatility by fulfilling five different wide roles for Lecce.
Statistically, he appeared most frequently as a right winger in 10 matches (852 minutes), followed by left back in 6 matches (540 minutes). He played as a left winger and right back twice each (180 minutes total), while his least used position was left wing-back with just 1 match (90 minutes). This shows the team preferred to deploy him more on the right side than other positions.
Patrick Dorgu was born on 26 October 2004 and grew up in Husum, a small town near Copenhagen. Though modest, it was full of life and dreams. He is the son of Nigerian parents who immigrated to Denmark about 25 years ago seeking better education opportunities and quality of life.
Football became part of his life at just 5 years old. Dorgu started simply, playing with siblings and friends on the nearby grass fields—not driven by big dreams but by pure childhood joy.
“Husum isn’t the wealthiest area, but it’s okay,” Dorgu told the fan magazine United We Stand.
His professional path changed seriously in July 2022 when, at 17, Dorgu decided to move from his hometown to Lecce in southern Italy. After impressing with Denmark’s under-19 national team, Lecce scouts came to watch him in person before contacting him via Instagram.
Negotiations took several months, and eventually the opportunity opened for him, starting with the club’s U19 squad before gradually progressing to the first team.
The Road to Manchester United
His Premier League entry came when Manchester United presented a plan through a video from the Carrington training center. Football Director Jason Wilcox and Head Coach Ruben Amorim led the presentation. Both sides were impressed by his physique, ability, and reasonable transfer fee, while Dorgu himself was ready for a new challenge.
Despite knowing the club was undergoing one of its toughest seasons in decades, he officially signed on 2 February 2025 for £25 million.
Dorgu immediately featured in Premier League and FA Cup matches within the same month. He is left-footed and can play almost any wide position, including left back, wing-back, left winger, right back, or right winger cutting inside to shoot with his left foot.
His path recalls Bukayo Saka’s early career, starting in defense before developing into a top-level attacker.
Of course, the journey was not without hardships. Dorgu’s form dropped early in the season amid heavy pressure from high expectations at a major club, and in November, Amorim openly criticized him through the media.
However, instead of faltering, Dorgu and his teammates stood together, responding with a stronger mindset.
Dorgu’s playing style differs from Ahmad Diallo’s flair or Embolo’s reliability. He is a fierce wide player who dares to confront opponents, using both skill and strength to battle for space and drive the ball through the opposition’s defense.
Though not flashy to the average fan, he is difficult to handle. Within the tight 4-4-2 system, Dorgu has become a key cog, tirelessly running, pressing space, cutting passing lanes, and effectively slowing down top-level opposing attacks.
And in the away game at Arsenal, his beautiful long-range goal that put Manchester United ahead 2-1 was clear evidence that Patrick Dorgu is not just a talented young player but one ready to develop and truly stand at the European football level.