Man Utd struck gold on amazing star

Manchester United’s recent 2-1 FA Cup win over Leicester City saw a few tactical tweaks to Ruben Amorim’s side. One of those was to find an internal solution at left centre-back. With Lisandro Martinez’s injury, the Portuguese boss had to find a new source of progression in that area of the pitch.

In the first half, Noussair Mazraoui started in the role but swapped sides with young Leny Yoro, who started on the opposite side. Luckily for Amorim, the Frenchman seemed comfortable in that role.

Again, it was a game where Kobbie Mainoo started at number 10 after the experiment of playing him as a false nine did not work, although he did struggle. It also saw a debut for new signing Patrick Dorgu, although perhaps not in the position many expected.

Patrick Dorgu’s Man United debut in numbers

After making the move from Serie A club Lecce to Old Trafford at the end of the January transfer window, it was assumed that Dorgu would play at left wing-back, although Amorim sprung a surprise by starting him on the right instead.

The new Red Devils boss defended his selection decision at full time, explaining that “for his last team he played a lot of games on the right”. This certainly implies to United fans he could start there more often.

H, Football analyst and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, seemed to be pleased with what he saw from Dorgu on his first night as a United player. He said the Dane “had a couple of actions where he was sharp”, describing his performance as “good”.

Of course, there might well be pressure that comes with the 20-year-old, through no fault of his own. Not only are United signings naturally heavily scrutinised, but he was Amorim’s first acquisition. However, it was not a signing that broke the bank, with the Dane costing just £25m up front and a further £4.1m in add-ons.

The wing-back on the opposite side is actually worth even more than what United paid for Dorgu, and he has certainly been a good investment for the Old Trafford club.

The Man United star who’s worth more than Dorgu

The player in question here is Portugal international Diogo Dalot. He has been a crucial player under Amorim since he came into the club, playing at wing-back on both flanks and even for a short time against Rangers, at right centre-back.

The 25-year-old, who came through the youth ranks at FC Porto and cost United £19m in 2018, has played 19 games under Amorim so far. Dalot also got himself on the scoresheet in the most recent Europa League win for United, a 2-0 victory over FCSB.

The Red Devils’ number 20 was described as “influential” by football statistician Statman Dave. That certainly seems true, given the number of games he has played recently.

Gary Neville has been full of praise for the former Porto player this season. At the end of December, he said that Dalot, along with attacker Amad and Mazraoui, were the only players “that can probably say that they have done ok” under the management team.

Last season, Neville acknowledged that the Red Devils “might have the right-back for the future” in Dalot, suggesting this season is a continuation of good form.

His stats from this season compared to last, courtesy of Squawka, make for good reading. For example, he averages 5.9 ball recoveries in the Premier League this season compared to 5.6 in 2023/24.

The Portugal international has certainly been important for the Red Devils, and, in Neville’s opinion, he has played well. Thus, it might be unsurprising to learn he is valued as highly as £47m according to Football Transfers.

Of course, that is far more than the £29.1m they paid for Dorgu, and the early signs are that he will be a good player. It is also a substantial increase on the £19m they invested in Dalot under Jose Mourinho, which is a 147% increase on the initial fee.

This seems like it has been a worthy investment from the Red Devils. Not only is the full-back a key player now, but he could be vital for years to come. His value, which is far higher than what Dorgu cost, has shot up since they first bought him. All things considered, United really struck gold on Dalot.