Ruben Amorim must well be wondering quite what he has got himself into at Manchester United, with the Portuguese boss departing what looked to be a title-bound Sporting CP side in November, to instead join a car-crash outfit at Old Trafford.
The 39-year-old – who has already overseen seven defeats in just 16 games in his new surroundings – is certainly not blameless for his side’s woes, having even admitted that the same group of players who toiled under Erik ten Hag are now performing “worse” following his arrival.
In Amorim’s defence, however, the promising coach has hardly been given the appropriate tools to implement his preferred style, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst reporting that the United boss has grown “frustrated” by the lack of transfer activity at the club this month.
While neighbours Manchester City splash the cash in a bid to revive their season, the Red Devils, meanwhile, have been left counting their pennies, scrambling to make potential late moves – all the while considering the sale of one of the bright sparks of recent seasons, in Alejandro Garnacho.
The sale of the FA Cup final hero may be viewed as a necessary evil in order to acquire new signings who are perhaps better suited to Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, yet cashing in on the Argentine for another relatively raw talent in the form of Patrick Dorgu appears a risky gamble.
Latest on Patrick Dorgu to Manchester United
With talk that Chelsea could acquire Garnacho for roughly £60m before the window slams shut, INEOS appear to be keen to make a move of their own with the signing Dorgu, having reportedly lodged a bid of around €30m (£25m) for Lecce’s Danish starlet.
20 games (20 starts)
3 goals
1 assist
1 ‘big chance’ created
0.9 key passes*
78% pass accuracy*
2.8 tackles & interceptions*
4.7 balls recovered*
1x dribbled past*
0.7 successful dribbles*
13.1x possession lost*
The Serie A side are, however, seemingly holding out for closer to €40m (£34m) for their 20-year-old prospect, thus representing a sizeable fee for a player who only made his senior debut for the club back in 2023.
56 first-team appearances in Italy have yielded just five goals and two assists, albeit with Dorgu seemingly viewed as the perfect solution to United’s wing-back woes, amid his ability to feature on either flank, as well as in a more advanced attacking role.
With Luke Shaw sidelined and Tyrell Malacia tipped for an exit, Amorim’s squad is crying out for a long-term fit on the left flank, in particular, hence INEOS’ interest in splashing out for Rasmus Hojlund’s international colleague.
There is wisdom then in snapping up this “super high potential” talent – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – although might it be worth Amorim and co looking to their academy instead, with one young sensation offering a perfect in-house alternative to Dorgu.
Man Utd's academy answer to Patrick Dorgu
For all the ‘excitement’ surrounding new signings at the Theatre of Dreams, it is so often the youth ranks which provide the biggest bargains, with recent years having been littered by notable academy success stories, be it Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and now Toby Collyer.
The obsession with looking further afield for reinforcements remains, yet promoting from within can also be particularly fruitful, with 17-year-old Bendito Mantato perhaps one of the next to emerge from the Carrington conveyor belt.
While his age may be something of a stumbling block in earning first-team minutes, the versatile teenager has been tipped to earn a role in Amorim’s side in the near future, with the aforementioned Mattinson likening Mantato to Sporting’s own 17-year-old wonderkid, Geovany Quenda, who blossomed under Amorim back in Lisbon.
In The Pipeline
As Mattinson noted, there have also been comparisons made between the “explosive” United starlet and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, due to his ability to operate at left-back, or on the right wing – much in a similar mould to fellow left-footer, Dorgu.
Dubbed ‘one of the highest rated youngsters in the academy’ by MEN journalist Steven Railston, the exciting wideman has netted six times in just nine U18 Premier League games in 2024/25 thus far, after previously chalking up the same tally in just seven outings last season.
The young Englishman notably came to the attention in 2023/24 after scoring four in the 5-2 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers’ U18 side, with rival clubs having seemingly been keeping a close eye on his progress.
With the case of Quenda – who made 18 appearances under Amorim at the start of this season in Portugal – showcasing the United manager’s willingness to promote youth, it would certainly be worth taking a closer look at Mantato, particularly amid the club’s dire financial situation.
A player who has already trained with the first team, Mantato could represent the wing-back solution that the Old Trafford side are craving, with Amorim perhaps needing to consider whether to unleash this rising star, rather than taking an expensive risk on another relatively unproven talent like Dorgu.
It could end up saving INEOS millions…
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