Man Utd will wait for Ederson to finish his World Cup campaign to fortify their squad, but they will already have a new midfielder to start the pre-season with.
After striking out on a deal for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, combined with the late World Cup call-up for Ederson, Michael Carrick is in a precarious position.
Barring something spectacular, he will start the season with the same squad that ended last season, minus the World Cup call-ups.
That’s not an ideal situation, to say the least, but Man Utd will have a new midfielder already in town who could surprise everyone.
Cristian Orozco – Have Manchester United just signed the next midfield superstar? 🇨🇴
Cristian Orozco must be included in Man Utd pre-season squad
Man Utd players will report for pre-season training on July 9, and on July 13, their first new player of this season will join the squad.
Cristian Orozco’s signing was completed last summer, and the player will join when he turns 18, which is on July 13.
Orozco is a highly rated prospect from Colombia who has captained his country at the age group level, while also establishing himself in the Fortaleza senior team at such a young age.
Orozco is United correcting where they failed with Moises Caicedo, and the youngster can have a similar ceiling.
The stars are aligning poorly for United in the transfer window, but it’s a boost for Orozco, who can now walk into a senior team desperately looking for defensive midfielders.
Earlier reports suggested that Orozco would join the U21s for a tour of Germany, instead of staying with the senior team, but that must be changed now.
With the senior team having no natural defensive midfielders until Kobbie Mainoo returns from the World Cup, Orozco’s presence becomes a non-negotiable.
Orozco can exceed expectations with a pre-season
Man Utd fans won’t forget how Kobbie Mainoo came out of nowhere in the 2023 pre-season and ended the season starting for England in the Euros 2024 final.
Which transfer targets do you NOT want Man Utd to sign?
Let's turn the transfer question on it's head, and give Jason Wilcox some advice…
A similar opportunity has presented itself for Orozco due to a combination of factors, ranging from the World Cup to United’s transfer snubs.
If he can make himself look at home in the first few pre-season games, it will be impossible for Michael Carrick to ignore him.
He should still be drip-fed into the senior team, but talents like these deserve a chance before being sent to academy football for acclimatisation.
As things stand, Carrick will have no option but to give Orozco that chance.
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