Manchester United will welcome Cristian Orozco to the club this summer.
The first signing for Manchester United this summer was actually made late last year. The club struck an agreement to sign Colombian wonderkid Cristian Orozco.
Orozco must wait until he is 18 to formally join United. He reaches that milestone on July 13.
In the meantime he is continuing to develop at Colombian club Fortaleza, where he is making good progress.
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Cristian Orozco now starting for Fortaleza
When Manchester United struck the deal to sign Cristian Orozco, the teenager had not even made his professional debut.
United smartly agreed to buy Orozco before the FIFA Under-17s World Cup, where he helped Colombia to reach the knockout stages.
Since the tournament, he has begun to feature for Fortaleza’s first team. The side are currently ranked 15th out of 20 in Colombia’s top flight.
Orozco made his Fortaleza debut back in February, featuring as a substitute.
He has regularly been in and around the squad since, either an unused substitute or playing late minutes – until the last two matches.
vs Independiente Medellin
Cristian Orozco made his first start for Fortaleza recently in a 1-0 away defeat to Independiente Medellin.
Orozco played 67 minutes in central midfield, making 34 touches in total, which included blocking two shots and winning one tackle.
vs Bucaramanga
Orozco started for Fortaleza again this past weekend, playing the opening 45 minutes in a 2-1 home win against Bucaramanga.
While he only played the first half, he was very efficient, completing 95 per cent of his passes, 33 of 35 attempts.
Orozco also made three defensive contributions and won two of the three duels he contested.
Both games have been valuable experiences for Orozco, to prepare him for his eventual jump to Manchester United.
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United plans for Orozco still unclear
Cristian Orozco will arrive at Manchester United during the opening weeks of pre-season, although plans are yet unclear.
United could try a Diego Leon style approach where he spends the season with the club’s under-21 side.
But it’s just as possible that he is immediately sent out on loan, like Enzo Kana-Biyik, who was placed with Lausanne last summer.
Timing could be on Orozco’s side if he is allowed to train with the first team.
United are looking for a new central midfielder, and pre-season could be a chance for him to immediately demonstrate that he is capable of making a quick step up.
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