Red flag for Man United as new signing labelled ‘immature’, but £7m star’s response has been brilliant

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One of Manchester United’s new signings under Ruben Amorim was called “immature” just months before completing his move.

Manchester United’s recruitment over the last decade has been nothing short of miserable. Gary Neville said it best when he described Old Trafford as a “graveyard” for new players.

Talented players have arrived for big fees – often too big – but failed to live up to the hype. However, there has been a noticeable shift in United’s transfer strategy since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover.

In the last two windows, United have put more effort into signing young players with big potential. In the recent winter window, 20-year-old Patrick Dorgu signed for £25m and was joined at United by 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven. Both were presented to Old Trafford before the defeat to Crystal Palace.

A third deal was struck in the window too, but £7m signing Diego Leon will have to wait until the summer to join Amorim’s side when he turns 18 years old.

Diego Leon was called ‘immature’ by Under-17s coach

United are in a slump and they will need strong characters to bring them back to the top. Amorim wants more leaders at United, and any player who arrives at Old Trafford will need lots of mental resilience.

With that in mind, a new signing being called “immature” by his own coach is a bit of a red flag…

Badayco Maciel – Cerro’s under-17 coach – gave insight on what Leon was like during his time in the club’s academy.

As per The Athletic, Maciel said: “He was seen as a player with the potential to reach the first team, but somewhat immature in his behaviour.

“I spoke to him a lot about it in pre-season. We agreed he had to mature as a player and as a person; that he had to go from being a kid to being a man.

“He had to start think differently and become more serious in every respect if he wanted to be a professional.”

Diego Leon’s brilliant response to ‘immature’ talks

It is extremely harsh to criticise a 17-year-old for being “immature” – what matters most is how he reacted to that criticism, and it has seemingly fueled Leon to improve.

As per The Athletic report above, conversations with Maciel over maturity “lit a fire under Leon”, with the Paraguayan defender knuckling down and becoming a standout player in the side.

His impressive run of form in Paraguay clearly caught the eye of United scouts, and his dream move to Manchester is now complete.

Maciel also spoke about Leon’s lofty potential, and he has told United fans exactly what they can expect when he arrives in the summer.

READ MORE: How Diego Leon fared for Paraguay U20 vs Chile, Man Utd youngster’s best performance yet

“His physical strength was noticeable,” Maciel said.

“He was technically good and had a change of pace. He was an attacking full-back, but he didn’t just go up the outside; he drove inside to get into the box and took shots. He was confident and he was daring.”