It’s fair to say that Patrick Dorgu’s start to life at Manchester United could certainly have gone better, amid the Ipswich Town debacle a week ago, yet that chaotic 45 minutes aside, the young Dane has already shown promise since his January move from Lecce.
Signed for a reported fee of around £30m, the versatile wing-back proved to be the only major addition of the winter window, with the only other first-team arrival seeing 18-year-old, Ayden Heaven, sign for just £1.5m for Arsenal.
In the case of Dorgu, in particular, the 20-year-old’s acquisition points to the need to find players who are suitable for Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, with the new man already showcasing his worth down the flanks, having produced a lively display at Goodison Park in the 2-2 draw with Everton.
Hope and optimism are scarce right now, yet the manner in which the Copenhagen native has slotted into Amorim’s system is certainly one reason for positivity, with the hope that further new faces can be added in the Portuguese’s image.
As the ex-Sporting CP boss is well aware, getting recruitment right will be crucial in dragging this failing club to success. His predecessor, Erik ten Hag, found out the hard way that transfer missteps can ultimately be your undoing…
Assessing Erik ten Hag's final transfer window
It could be argued that much of the damage was already done at United heading into last summer, with Ten Hag having overseen a scattergun transfer approach that has backfired spectacularly.
Indeed, in 2022, £156m was spent on Antony and Casemiro alone, with one of the Brazilian pair now out on loan at Real Betis, while the other appears surplus to requirements amid the desire to get him off the wage bill.
In 2023, meanwhile, Ten Hag was seemingly intent on signing Harry Kane to solve his centre-forward woes. In came Rasmus Hojlund instead on a £64m deal, with the Dane having since scored just 23 goals in all competitions – 52 goals less than what Kane has achieved at Bayern Munich.
£47.2m was spent on Andre Onana – a player who now seemingly needs to depart this summer – while a further £55m was also dished out on Mason Mount, with the Englishman having since been ravaged by injuries and contributed to just two goals and assists.
Fast forward to the summer of 2024 and perhaps, on reflection, it was not quite so disastrous, even though Ten Hag’s tenure was brought to an abrupt halt just months later.
The £13m spent on Noussair Mazraoui already looks like a bargain pickup, with the decision to plump for Manuel Ugarte having been vindicated following the reunion of the Uruguayan and Amorim.
At centre-back, Leny Yoro – who was targeted by Real Madrid – could well be a real star of the future, while Matthijs de Ligt has begun to find his groove, having been lauded by journalist Samuel Luckhurst for putting in his “best game” for the club against Fulham.
And then, there’s Joshua Zirkzee, a polarising player no doubt, but one who is beginning to flicker into life at Old Trafford.
Joshua Zirkzee's soaring market value
Much like in 2023, Ten Hag was in need of a reliable goalscorer to supplement his attack, yet – in a similar vein to the signing of Hojlund – he was handed a player who scored just 11 Serie A goals the previous season at Bologna.
Market Movers
As has quickly become evident, however, categorising Zirkzee as an out-and-out centre-forward is seemingly unfair on the man himself, with the 23-year-old having looked far more effective of late in a number ten berth.
Amorim has already admitted that the one-time Bayern man is “not a clear nine”, but as the link man, he could well carve out a future for himself in a United shirt.
As journalist Charlie Parrish has stated, the “outrageous” talent almost “belongs to a different era” due to his languid and silky style, with there obvious frustration surrounding his lack of mobility and dynamism.
That said, the £36.5m signing is beginning to endear himself to the home support due to his willing work ethic, having come a long way since being jeered off after just 30 minutes against Newcastle United.
Stat
Record (per 90)
Ranking
Non-penalty goals
0.18
Bottom 11%
Assists
0.13
Top 46%
Shot-creating actions
2.38
Top 39%
Pass completion
74.5%
Top 26%
Progressive passes
2.95
Top 10%
Progressive carries
1.41
Top 38%
Successful take-ons
1.10
Top 20%
Touches in opposition box
4.09
Bottom 29%
Tackles
0.88
Top 23%
Interceptions
0.22
Top 38%
Aerial duels won
1.14
Bottom 25%
Many a player would have simply wilted after such a moment, yet Zirkzee – despite missing the decisive spot-kick at the weekend – has moved to try and quash the doubters, while notably netting in the comeback FA Cup win over Leicester City.
A total return of five goals and two assists in all competitions is nothing to write home about, but judging a player of his ilk on goal contributions alone would be doing him a disservice.
Against the Cottagers, for instance, he produced a delightful turn and lofted pass to pick out Alejandro Garnacho late in normal time, having emerged as a real focal point at a time when that man Hojlund is floundering.
It is then no surprise that Zirkzee is believed to have seen his value soar of late, with CIES Football Observatory noting that the forward’s market value now stands at around £57m, thus placing him way ahead of the £30m spent on Dorgu – a player who was deemed to be worth just £21m by CIES back in November.
It remains to be seen if Amorim and Co will look to capitalise on that and cash in on the Netherlands international this summer, yet the club could do worse than show a little bit of patience to a player who is at least fighting for the cause.
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