Manchester United's bid for Serie A starlet 'rejected' as Lecce president breaks silence
A Serie A team has rejected a bid from Manchester United for one of its top players, the club’s president has revealed.
Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani has told the media that he turned down an offer from Manchester United for their versatile player Patrick Dorgu.
Man United had identified Dorgu as a key target to strengthen their squad, with manager Ruben Amorim specifically seeking an attacking left-back. A meeting between the two clubs took place on Tuesday, January 21 to negotiate a potential transfer, but no agreement was reached.
It comes as Man United also finally make some headway offloading a player as well, with an official bid coming in for winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Sticchi Damiani said: “The meeting went well, it was a cordial meeting. For us, it is a satisfaction to sit at the table with Manchester United and talk about a player who comes from our Primavera.
“It means that it is a remarkable growth path for the club, and we are very happy with it.
“We have explained to Manchester that our will at the moment is to try to keep our squad unchanged, keeping all the big names, especially Dorgu. We have tried to make them understand that for us it is an important time in the story of the season. We could achieve the third historic survival [from relegation].
“Although we are flattered by Manchester's offer, for us the priority is the sporting result, which is fundamental.”
Man United reportedly offered €30m (£25.4m) upfront, with an additional €5m (£4.2m) in bonuses, to sign Dorgu during the January transfer window. However, Lecce are said to value the player closer to €40m (£33.8m). Meanwhile, Napoli is rumored to be nearing that figure, potentially outpacing United in the race for the talented defender.