Manchester United are set to welcome Diego Leon to the club on July 1 after agreeing a deal for the fullback back in January.
But his immediate future could lie away from Old Trafford if Manchester World are to be believed, who have claimed that the Paraguayan might be loaned out in the same window.
United’s initial plan is to assess what the Cerro Porteño starlet is capable of, with Ruben Amorim primed to pick him for the pre-season games as well as the Summer Series in the United States.
With Harry Amass and Patrick Dorgu ahead of the 18-year-old in the pecking order, going out on loan to another INEOS-owned club like FC Lausanne Sport has not been ruled out.
Diego Leon could be loaned out
“Manchester United will take a look at Diego Leon during their summer schedule before a final decision is made on his immediate future.
“The 18-year-old will likely feature in their first pre-season friendly fixtures and could even be named in the squad that travels to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series.
“A summer loan exit has not been entirely ruled out, though club sources have reiterated the teenager will need time to adapt in his new surroundings.”
The Paraguay U20 international is in the same boat Sekou Kone found himself in, when he joined last summer from Guidars FC.
Staying with the Academy would be a huge help
The Malian was kept in the reserves, where he played regularly and impressed as the all-action defensive midfielder as well as in an advanced role, while also training with the first-team off and on. He will leave on loan to Lausanne this summer.
And like Kone, it would be best if Diego Leon also spends time in the Academy in his first season, learning the language and getting acclimatized to his new surroundings.
Leon was signed for an initial fee in the region of £3.2 million, with add-ons potentially taking the total tally to as much as £7 million.
Under INEOS, United have been increasingly focusing on academy recruitment with the South American market once again of interest to the club.
Feature image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
