Manchester United’s signing of talented young left-back Diego Leon came out of the blue, as the seemingly unknown defender agreed to move to Old Trafford.
Playing for Cerro Porteno, Leon played 19 games for the Paraguayan side, grabbing two goals in the process as the club claimed sixth place in the league.
In no time at all, United had identified the left-back as a potential target, then agreed a pre-contract agreement for the star to move to Old Trafford after his 18th birthday.
All the documents have been signed with the 17-year-old to become a Red Devil in July 2025, however, his signing shows a massive change in how United are approaching young signings.
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The signing of Diego Leon shows a change in Manchester United’s recruitment
Over the years, United have missed out on some massive young talents, not because of not scouting stars, but by not acting on them.
Back in 2023, Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo from Brighton for a British record of £115 million. However, back in 2020, two and a half years earlier, United’s recruitment team scouted Caicedo at the age of 19, playing for Ecuadorian side Independiente.
With seven goals and two assists in 31 games, Caicedo was instrumental in Independiente’s campaign to secure second place in the league. Despite highlighting him as a promising signing with long-term potential for the club, United passed on signing him, with the youngster moving to Brighton a month later.
Fellow Chelsea star Pedro Neto is another missed opportunity for United, with The Red Devils scouting him back in 2017 when he played for Braga’s youth team in Portugal. However, United’s delays meant that once more they missed out.
Another incredible star that could have joined the ranks of The Red Devils was Erling Haaland. The phenomenal striker played under Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the age of 17 for Norwegian side Molde. Solskjaer highlighted his potential to United not once but twice. However, The Red Devils failed to act on his recommendations.
Very similar stories can be told of Benjamin Sesko, Jamal Musiala and Stefan Bajcetic, unfortunately with the list going on.
The key problem with all of these missed opportunities has been United’s lack of conviction, and failure to act on the scouting reports and recommendations.
However, Leon’s signing, along with the signings of Leny Yoro, Chido Obi Martin, Sekou Kone and Samuel Lusale show massive steps in the right direction.
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Diego Leon joins Manchester United
The Telegraph has now reported that Leon arrived in Manchester this weekend and has undergone a medical on Monday, having now signed his pre-contract agreement with the club.
It’s understood that the move is going to cost United £7 million, however, when looking at missed targets like Sesko, now valued at £42 million when United could have had him for £2 million, this could be an absolute bargain in the long run.
The deal is made up of an initial £3.3 million transfer fee with £820,000 in achievable add-ons, plus £2.87 million in harder target-based add-ons. The Paraguayan will be at Old Trafford for five years with a 12-month optional extension also built into the contract.
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