Diego Leon joined Manchester United as an exciting young prospect and his workload is set to increase after settling in to new surroundings.
Manchester United made their move for Diego Leon back in January, striking a £7m deal with Cerro Porteno for the 18-year-old defender.
Leon was included in United’s pre-season tour, with Ruben Amorim keen to get a good look at the Paraguayan before making a call on whether he would stay at Carrington or go out on loan.
Ultimately, Leon impressed in training and was kept in Manchester. However, he is yet to make his first-team debut and has been afforded some time to settle in with the Under-21s.
Towards the end of October, Leon scored a wonder goal for United’s U21s, sparking conversation about whether or not he will make the step up to the first team.
Diego Leon set for more minutes with debut on horizon
While Leon has appeared on United’s first-team bench three times in the Premier League this season, he has mostly been considered an option for the U21s.
Under coach Travis Binnion, Leon has been settling in well and playing more regularly for the academy side.
However, it seems his workload is set to increase in the coming weeks. Via BBC Sport, Binnion spoke highly of Leon and explained his plans to award him more minutes on the pitch.
“It is evident for all to see he [Leon] has some real qualities and some strong foundations to his game that he has to build on,” said Binnion.
“He is aware, we are all aware, he has stuff to work on, but to be fair to the kid, he has not played a full 90 minutes yet. We will be looking to tick that off pretty soon and that will be really good for him.
“If he can get a run of 90 minutes, then it is fair to look at his game and see where he is at. At this moment in time he has shown real glimpses of promise and has fitted in with the group really well.”
Diego Leon will hope for more international minutes
As well as increasing his workload with United’s Under-21s, Leon will also hope for more opportunities on the international stage.
Leon was called up by Paraguay in October despite having not yet made a United first-team appearance. Leon made his Paraguay debut against South Korea, and will hope for another call-up in November.
Paraguay face Mexico and the United States in November, and Leon has a strong chance of being included in the squad once again.
READ MORE: Man Utd player ratings on international break, Diego Leon celebrates debut as 8/10 star stands out
When he returns to Carrington, United’s Under-21s have matches scheduled in the National League Cup and Premier League International Cup, which could be Leon’s best chance at playing consecutive 90-minute matches.
If he continues to impress in the academy, it is only a matter of time until he makes his breakthrough to Amorim’s first-team squad.
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