Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old fullback Diego Leon but the Paraguayan youngster will only join the ranks at Old Trafford next summer.
United’s interest in Leon was first revealed in November with technical director Jason Wilcox leading negotiations for the talented defender, who has reportedly attracted attention from other major clubs in Europe.
A deal was agreed quickly after worth $6 million, with the Red Devils keen to add Leon to their ranks ahead of any potential rivals.
And now Romano has revealed the 17-year-old has “signed all documents” required to make the move official, though United fans will have to wait until the summer before seeing the Paraguayan defender in action, as he only turns 18 in April.
🚨 Diego León has signed all documents to join Manchester United in 2025. 🇵🇾
Contracts in place for 17 year old left back to become Man United player from July 2025, when he turns 18.
Deal sealed by Jason Wilcox after South America lead scout Giuseppe Antonaccio pushed for León… pic.twitter.com/9Ye6dJ5aBR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 20, 2024
Tweet: “Diego León has signed all documents to join Manchester United in 2025. Contracts in place for 17 year old left back to become Man United player from July 2025, when he turns 18.
Deal sealed by Jason Wilcox after South America lead scout Giuseppe Antonaccio pushed for León as talent. Paraguayan LB joins from Cerro Porteno for $4m fixed fee, $1m easy add-ons, $2/3k extra difficult add-ons.
Here we go, confirmed.”
Leon is a left-sided fullback with a potent pairing of pace and physicality – a combination which makes him appear ideally suited to the rigours of English football, as well as two attributes the current United squad are lacking in.
But, even more tantalisingly, the LWB position is the biggest glaring weakness for new head coach Ruben Amorim with both first-team options – Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia – suffering from long-standing injury issues.
While Shaw, 29, appears an ideal fit for the role, his body is simply incapable of matching the intense physical demands a left wingback is subject to. And Malacia, despite having recovered from his serious knee injury, lacks the technical skill Amorim requires from his wingbacks, and has shown a slowness since returning.
Leon is a physical monster who is capable of flying up and down the left flank at great speed, with his intensity in and out of possession making him a potentially perfect player in Amorim’s system.
However, the Portuguese coach will not be able to cast his eye over the first signing in his tenure at Old Trafford until next summer and it is unrealistic to expect a player so young, moving from South America to England, to adapt immediately.
An experienced left wingback will still be a priority for United’s recruitment team over the coming transfer windows, despite the resounding success of signing such a talented starlet so smoothly.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
