Manchester United have reached a full agreement to sign Colombian youngster Cristian Orozco after Fabrizio Romano delivered his trademark “here we go” seal of approval to the transfer.
A Highly-Rated Midfielder
The Red Devils reached a preliminary agreement to sign Orozco, 17, after the midfielder impressed lead scout Guiseppe Antonaccio, who leads the club’s recruitment in South America.
Orozco enjoyed a superb CONMEBOL Sub 17 – South America’s U-17 Championship – earlier this year, propelling Colombia to the final of the competition.
And though Los Cafeteros lost the match on penalties to Brazil, Orozco’s performances stood out at the heart of his side’s midfield – as they have for his club side, Fortaleza CEIF, as well.
The youngster stands out for combining elite physicality with excellent technical ability – a potent, but rare, pairing for a defensive midfielder in modern football, as every United fan can attest to in recent years.
He has drawn comparisons to Chelsea and Ecuador international Moises Caicedo – a player the Red Devils were themselves closely linked to when he was still in South America – who has developed into one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.
Orozco had attracted attention from other clubs in France and Germany, but it was United who struck first, agreeing a deal worth $1 million (£750k) with Fortaleza last week to ensure they did not miss out on another outstanding midfield prospect.
And Romano has now rubber stamped the move – which is set to be completed next summer when Orozco turns 18 – as a full agreement has been reached.
Full Agreement
The Italian transfer guru reveals “all the contracts” have been approved by officials at Old Trafford and the deal is “now sealed and signed”.
🚨🇨🇴 Manchester United have now sealed and signed deal to bring in 17 year old Colombian talent Cristian Orozco.
$1m transfer fee from Fortaleza in deal valid from summer 2026.#MUFC lawyers approved all the contracts, deal coordinated by lead scout Antonaccio.
Here we go. 🔐 pic.twitter.com/EEApkWeX4N
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 2, 2025
Tweet: “Manchester United have now sealed and signed deal to bring in 17 year old Colombian talent Cristian Orozco. $1m transfer fee from Fortaleza in deal valid from summer 2026. #MUFC lawyers approved all the contracts, deal coordinated by lead scout Antonaccio. Here we go.”
INEOS have demonstrated a renewed focus on securing the best young talent from around the globe since assuming the helm at Old Trafford last year.
But if scouting reports emerging from South America are proven to be correct, United may have just signed the best youngster yet.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
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.
