Manchester United’s senior squad might be on a speedrun towards breaking all sorts of wrong records but the future looks promising.
Just hours after Ruben Amorim caught flak for ignoring the youngsters on the bench against Spurs in the 0-1 loss, an exciting youngster away from the club made his mark.
Diego Leon is currently away playing for Paraguay U20s in the U20 South American Championship to get some good experience against top international outfits.
Their recent fixture was against giants Argentina U20s, playing the likes of Man City-bound Claudio Echeverri but it was the Man Utd star who had the decisive say.
How Diego Leon fared in latest appearance
Man Utd fans have had one eye on Cerro Porteno and Paraguay U20s ever since the signing of Diego Leon was announced and rightly so.
He arrives at Old Trafford as one of the most exciting teenagers in world football, especially at his position.
In the recent fixture against Argentina U20, Leon lined up as the left-back in a 4-2-3-1 and scored a late winner to hand his team a 3-2 victory.
Paraguay were pegged back twice after going 2-0 up to leave the score level but Leon pounced on a floated ball in the box and finished with a slick dink to give his team the lead and eventually, the win.
Leon’s defensive acumen has been questioned and one error of his did lead to a goal for Argentina but he was extremely tenacious and active in both phases.
He finished with seven clearances, two tackles, and two interceptions to go with 48 touches, two key passes, and one big chance created that didn’t lead to a goal directly.
Leon also hit the woodwork once to sum up an all-action display that perfectly summarises who he is as a player at this stage of his career – a youthful bundle of energy with limitless potential but raw.
Leon has a clear pathway at Man Utd
Leon will join United in the summer but if the team’s current form is any indication, he should have a clear pathway into the first-team.
Patrick Dorgu has started well at United and his positional versatility means he’ll be used on both wings, like Diogo Dalot.
Noussair Mazraoui’s long-term future under Amorim is clearly as the wide centre-back instead of a wing-back which leaves space for Leon to challenge for the left wing-back spot.
Tyrell Malacia should leave permanently while Luke Shaw, at his age and with his history, is likely to be a wide centre-back more than a wing-back.
If he can continue to iron out the rough edges in his game and impress during United’s pre-season, he is likely to be a crucial part of the first-team squad straightaway.
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