The two Colombians who represented Man Utd, and three who nearly did

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Two Colombian footballers have played for Manchester United, but the list could grow if Cristian Orozco completes a transfer from Fortaleza.

Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a co-owner at Manchester United, Ineos have changed the club’s approach to signing new players.

The signing of Diego Leon from Cerro Porteno proves that United are now willing to dip into the South American market for fresh talent.

Furthermore, there has been an emphasis put on signing youngsters such as Ayden Heaven, Chido Obi, Leny Yoro and Sekou Kone.

That is likely to continue in 2026 amid reports that United are on the verge of reaching an agreement for Cristian Orozco, who is considered a rising prospect from Colombia.

Orozco could become the third Colombian to sign for United if he joins next summer after his 18^th birthday.

Two Colombians to play for Man Utd

United have signed players from all over the world – but only two have come from Colombia.

While United added two more South Americans to the squad in the summer, including Matheus Cunha and Leon, none of the current crop are Colombian.

That could change if Orozco completes a transfer from Fortaleza next year.

However, this forces us to look at a throwback to Colombians who previously wore the United shirt.

Radamel Falcao joined United on loan in 2014 and struggled to show the form he’d previously shown in Europe. It was a real shame because the striker’s arrival brought a great deal of excitement to the fans.

The second Colombian to play for United, albeit with the under-21 side, is Mateo Mejia.

Mejia joined United’s academy from Real Zaragoza in 2019 before spending five years at Old Trafford. He never made a single appearance for the senior side and eventually joined Sevilla B in Spain.

The 22-year-old winger is currently playing his football at Burgos in the Segunda Division.

Colombian players who almost joined Man Utd

Every year, United are linked with more players than other clubs.

That inevitably means there have been many Colombian stars linked with a move to United.

Some of those players include Yerry Mina, Richard Rios and James Rodriguez.

While Mina joined Everton from Barcelona following links to United, Rios was overlooked by United this summer when he joined Benfica. The central midfielder will be watched closely this season after making an eagerly anticipated move to Europe.

When it comes to Rodriguez, his rise to prominence came after a series of impressive performances at the World Cup in 2014, where he won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals.

James would earn links to United, but he joined Real Madrid after emerging as a bright talent in a Colombia shirt. He would also play for Bayern Munich (loan), Everton, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo and Raya Vallecano.

The 33-year-old, who is renowned as one of the greatest players in Colombia’s history, currently plays for Liga MX side León.