Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly viewed as the frontrunners in the race to sign Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu.
Having made the switch from Nordsjaelland in 2022, the 19-year-old has quickly established himself as one of Lecce's most important players.
Despite his age, Dorgu has already made 38 appearances for the Serie A outfit, contributing two goals and one assist from the left side.
While the youngster found himself in and out of the team during 2023-24, he has since made three starts in Italy's top flight this season.
Dorgu's rise has already led to him being called up to the Denmark senior squad with his first two caps being earned in the recent UEFA Nations League victories over Switzerland and Serbia.
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Premier League interest growing in Dorgu
He marked his debut with a goal in the first of those games, Lecce hoping that Dorgu will now be able to kick on once he has served a suspension for a recent red card.
Nevertheless, despite possessing a contract until 2027, it remains unclear whether his long-term future will be at I Giallorossi or a bigger club.
According to La Gazetta dello Sport, Chelsea and Spurs have moved into pole position to secure a deal for the prospect.
The report suggests that Dorgu's valuation could now be in the region of €40m (£33.8m) given the speed of his progression on the domestic and international front.
Lecce had previously set an asking price of €30m, with it being viewed as a natural move to increase that based on his emergence for Denmark.
Although club officials are ready to present Dorgu with a new contract, the player's representatives may plausibly insist on a release clause for that to come to fruition.
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Who would be best fit for Dorgu?
With Chelsea having omitted England international Ben Chilwell from their plans, it is clear that they are prepared to place faith in Marc Cucurella and Renato Veiga at left-back.
From Spurs' perspective, they have Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies and Sergio Reguilon as their options, but the long-term future of the latter duo is far from certain.
Manchester United have previously been linked with a move for Dorgu with Erik ten Hag desperate to strengthen in that area courtesy of the long-term fitness issues of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
However, the Red Devils may not be in a position to spend the aforementioned fee on a player with limited experience after their splurge on fresh talent in the summer.
Darren Plant
