Patrick Dorgu isn’t ‘a dud’ but Man Utd should still be embarrassed

We fully accept there’s a great temptation to hit out all at Manchester United transfers because a) they do make it very easy, b) it will always be fun to slate them and c) criticism of anything to do with the Red Devils makes headlines.

But we would suggest that calling Patrick Dorgu “a dud” reflects far worse on Piotr Sadowski, who worked as a scout at United before his departure in August 2024, and those who decided to lean on his opinions for seven years at the club, than it does on Dorgu himself, or whoever made the wise call to send Sadowski packing, if indeed that’s how his exit transpired.

Dorgu was the first signing made under Ruben Amorim when he joined from Lecce in a £29.2million deal in the January transfer window, and when it was put to Sadowski that the 21-year-old might be an example of unsuccessful recruitment by Amorim, he replied: “A dud, I definitely agree.

“And he was brought in for €30 million. Honestly, having recently worked at Blackburn Rovers and operating on a much lower transfer budget, I would have had no problem finding a few players at Dorgu’s level for Manchester United, but not for €30m, only up to a maximum of four.”

The comments have the pang of an embittered former employee who refuses to accept a quite evident improvement in recruitment at Manchester United under Amorim.

In search of “a dud” to prove his point he couldn’t pick any of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo or Senne Lammens as they’ve all been frustratingly competent, Benjamin Sesko has flop potential but it’s probably too early and Sadowski may very well have recommended his signing as United’s Central European scout, which leaves Dorgu as the only option for his lazy, unfounded take.

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According to FBRef, vs full-backs in Europe’s top five league’s this season Dorgu’s in the 74th percentile for shot-creating actions, the 79th for key passes, the 81st for progressive carries and the 99th for touches in the opponents box.

For those of you crying foul at an unfair comparison as Dorgu’s played at wing-back ad not full-back, he’s also in the 86th percentile for interceptions and the 91st for tackles won. He’s essentially an excellent one-on-one defender who gets forward and creates chances regularly.

And it’s not as though those stats are painting a picture of Dorgu different to the one we’re seeing – and we suspect Sadowski isn’t seeing – when watching Manchester United games. He’s a talented young footballer who may be the long-term solution at left wing-back for United. He also might not be. Time will tell.

But what he absolutely isn’t is “a dud”. And if Sadowski thinks he is the mind boggles as to just how many actual duds he persuaded the Manchester United bosses to sign in his seven years combing the transfer market for talent that he evidently can’t spot.