Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were keen on signing Danish full back Patrick Dorgu during the summer transfer window but were put off by the price, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
It was a busy summer for Ange Postecoglou’s side as they made a handful of new additions, including former Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke. Leeds United’s Archie Gray and Burnley’s Wilson Odobert were also among the new arrivals as several first-team stars moved on.
The north London club bid farewell to a number of players on free transfers, including Ryan Sessegnon and Eric Dier. Oliver Skipp was the biggest outgoing as he joined Leicester City, while Emerson Royal moved to AC Milan for around €15million.
Spurs and Chelsea ‘considered’ Dorgu move
He was also wanted by Chelsea
Spurs explored a deal for Danish defender Dorgu from Serie A side Lecce over the summer, according to Romano. The journalist claims the full back was on their shortlist ahead of a possible move, but the price proved to be a stumbling block.
He claims Lecce demanded a fee in the region of €35million for the 19-year-old, so talks didn’t advance any further. Chelsea were also reportedly in the mix, although he would have signed for Strasbourg, who are also owned by BlueCo.
Dorgu began his career in his homeland Denmark, before he joined Lecce’s academy on loan for the 2022/23 season. The move was made permanent at the end of the campaign, and he made the step up to the Italian club’s first team.
He signed a long-term contract with Lecce upon his arrival, and his current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2027. He made his senior debut for the Denmark national team earlier this week, and scored in the 2-0 win over Switzerland.
Spurs dealt blow ahead of Europa League opener
They will be without one key player
Elsewhere, Postecoglou has been handed a selection headache ahead of his side’s Europa League opener against Qarabag at the end of this month. Defender Cristian Romero will serve a one-game suspension for a red card received back in the 2022/23 campaign.
The 26-year-old was given his marching orders in Spurs’ Champions League last 16 clash against AC Milan back in March 2023. He received a second booking with a little over 10 minutes left to play, but because Spurs were eliminated, he never served the one-game suspension.
Tottenham didn’t qualify for European competition in 2023/24, but they will return to the European stage in the Europa League this season. Bans do have a two-year limit, but because it’s only been one season, it has not been scrapped on this occasion, meaning the Premier League side will be required to navigate their opening game without him.