I refused Manchester United January transfer - they changed my mind with an ultimatum

Lecce president Sticchi Damiani is adamant he did everything in his power to prevent Patrick Dorgu from joining Manchester United in the January transfer window.

United finally completed the signing of the 20-year-old last weekend after they agreed an initial £25 million fee with a further £4.1m in potential add-ons. Ruben Amorim prioritised the addition of a left wing-back to his side during the winter window and did not want to wait until the summer to get one.

It presented a problem in their pursuit of Dorgu, with Lecce adamant they would not sell the Danish full-back until the end of the season at the earliest. United weren't deterred by their stance though and used all their influence to secure an agreement on their terms rather than those of the Serie A club.

President lifts lid on Dorgu sale

“We said several times that Dorgu would not leave in January, and now I will explain why the opposite happened,” Damiani told TuttoMercatoWeb. “Then Manchester United arrived, who made themselves heard with us and with the lad’s entourage. We told them that we had no intention of letting Dorgu leave in January. We didn’t talk about figures, nor ask for increases. But instead of stopping United, this approach had the opposite effect.

“They ​​insisted. We asked several times to postpone everything until the summer, also promising the young man that he would not miss the opportunity. For us too it was a historic step, we just wanted to do it in July. The Premier League communicated to us their desire, the club and its coach, to make an immediate deal. There was an ultimatum, now or never. They also told the player the same. You cannot blame Dorgu. Imagine you’re 20 and Manchester United knocks on your door with such an offer. The combination of these factors led us to think that we would have gone from being consistent to being stupidly stubborn.”

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