The January transfer window has not yet opened but Manchester United have already struck one incoming deal for 2025.
Manchester United seem to take one step forward and then two steps backwards.
Last week’s 2-1 win at Manchester City suddenly seems like a long time ago as United lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup on Thursday night.
Ruben Amorim wanted a response against Bournemouth on Sunday but United lost again, this time falling to a 3-0 defeat.
United were never going to turn into a top team overnight but Amorim is really learning the scale of the challenge ahead of him.
United need reinforcements in 2025 but the first signing of the year will be one that Amorim can’t even pick until the summer at the earliest.
Celebrations in Diego Leon’s hometown
United have been chasing another left wing back with Amorim utilising his 3-4-3 system from his time at Sporting.
A first-team signing may well arrive there right away but United are also looking to the future.
United are close to signing Diego Leon with the Cerro Porteno wonderkid nearing a move to Old Trafford.
Fabrizio Romano claims that United have agreed to sign Leon with all documents now in place.
Leon will now become the first Paraguayan to play for United and this history-making move is a huge moment for everybody back in his hometown.
Paraguayan reporter Wilson Gonzalez Bronce has taken to social media to post a video of the local community celebration Leon’s move.
Fans in Cerro Porteno shirts were chanting and hugging Leon in his hometown of O’Leary, a small town some 170 miles outside the capital of Asuncion.
- READ MORE: Who is Diego Leon, Man Utd target 17-year-old Paraguayan as Ineos accelerate youth movement
Diego Leon on Manchester United move
Leon spoke briefly to a crowd of locals who were in celebratory mood as his move to United nears.
Paraguayan reporter Roberto Rojas took to social media to share a video of Leon sharing a brief message.
The 17-year-old left wing back thanked everybody for their support and hammered home that the move to United is a ‘dream come true’.
“Thank you all for the welcome, it was really nice,” said Leon.
“I can’t thank you enough, you surprised me so much that I don’t know whether to laugh to cry.
“It’s a dream come true and I thank my family and everyone of O’Leary,” he added.
We would therefore expect Leon’s move to United to be confirmed very soon, but there will be a wait to see him in action.
Leon can’t play for United until he turns 18, so he will stay with Cerro Porteno until the summer and then start his United career.
It’s clear that Leon is loved by his community and the story of a small-town kid from Paraguay becoming a Manchester United player is a quite remarkable one.
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