Lecce president Sticchi Damiani had no intention of selling Patrick Dorgu to Man Utd in January but was given brutal ultimatum by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS that made it 'unrealistic' to reject 'historic deal'

Dorgu had been heavily linked with Manchester United throughout the January transfer window, with the Red Devils keen on bolstering their defensive options. After extensive negotiations, they finally reached an agreement to sign the 20-year-old Danish full-back for a base fee of £25 million ($31m/€30m), with an additional £4 million ($5m/€4.8m) in performance-related bonuses.

However, completing the deal was far from straightforward. Lecce were reluctant to part ways with their prized young talent mid-season and attempted to delay the transfer until the summer window. But, United’s “now or never” approach made rejecting the deal impossible, according to Lecce president Saverio Sticchi Damiani.

Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, Damiani explained: "We said several times that Dorgu would not leave in January, and now I will explain why the opposite happened. 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."

Despite Lecce’s repeated appeals to delay the move, United refused to budge. They insisted that the transfer had to happen immediately, issuing a firm ultimatum.

"They insisted," Damiani revealed. "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.”

United fans will be eager to see if the Danish full-back can make an immediate impact and help solidify a position that has been a troublesome area for the team when United take on Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round at Old Trafford this Friday.