Man Utd star was let go on a free by Solskjaer, now he's on par with Dorgu

Manchester United are in dire need of improving their poor form this season having now slumped to 15th in the Premier League, and although relegation seems unlikely, they are set for a record-low finish in the Premier League.

United’s most recent game saw them make their final trip to Goodison Park to face Everton. The Toffees were the better side for much of the 90 minutes, but United managed to claw back a 2-0 deficit to draw, thanks to an inspirational performance from Bruno Fernandes.

It was not just United’s captain who stood out, with new signing Patrick Dorgu also impressing.

Dorgu’s time at United so far

The Red Devils made Dorgu the first major signing of the Ruben Amorim era at the back end of the January Transfer window. They signed him from Serie A strugglers Lecce, for £25m up front and a further £4.1m in add-ons.

So far, the wing-back is just three games into his United career. His debut came in the FA Cup against Leicester City, where he featured for the first half. He has also played two games in the Premier League, getting 90 minutes under his belt against Tottenham Hotspur and, most recently, Everton.

The Denmark international was certainly one of the better United players against the Toffees. The Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst was impressed by his performance, giving him a 7/10. He explained that Dorgu ‘has not been ground down by the pressure of playing for United’ so far.

Goals and assists will surely follow soon, too. Before his move to Old Trafford, the young wing-back scored three times and grabbed one assist for Lecce this season, showing his threat in front of goal.

In fact, that is as many goal involvements as a former United full-back, who perhaps Amorim wished he could call upon if he was still in his prime.

Former Man United star is now on par with Dorgu

There are plenty of former Red Devils stars performing well since leaving the club. One of the best recent examples of this is Antony, who has five goal involvements in six games since his loan move to Real Betis.

Well, another player who is doing well after leaving United is Ashley Young. Make no mistake about it, the former club captain was exceptional during his time wearing the famous red shirt, and only left in 2020 on a free transfer to Inter Milan, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the club.

The former England international made more appearances for United than he did any other club over his career.

He played 261 games, scoring 19 goals and grabbing 32 assists. Perhaps his best game came against Arsenal in the famous 8-2 win in 2011, where he scored two and assisted three.

The further he got into his United career, Young’s role in the side changed. He went from dynamic and tricky winger to marauding full-back, capable of playing either side. His versatility became key for the managers he had at Old Trafford.

Young by position for Man Utd (min 45 mins played)
Position	Games	Goals	Assists
Left midfield	74	12	10
Right-back	56	2	4
Left-back	55	1	7
Left-wing	29	3	9
Right midfield	20	0	1
Right-wing	6	0	0
Second striker	3	0	0
Central midfielder	2	0	0
Centre-back	1	0	0
Stats from Transfermarkt

Now plying his trade for Everton, Young also has four goal involvements this season, just as Dorgu does for Lecce. However, the former England international has one goal and three assists for the Toffees, playing as a flying full-back. At 39 years of age, the former United number 18 is still going strong.

It does make you consider how much Amorim would have appreciated Young this season if he was still at Old Trafford. Given the versatility of the former United skipper, the ability he has to whip in a deadly cross, and the fact he is still contributing to goals, he could have been an ideal wing-back.