Man Utd is expected to finalize their second summer transfer window acquisition. Diego Leon, who is anticipated to travel to Manchester early this week, is scheduled to officially sign with Manchester United from Cerro Porteno.
In the January transfer window, United agreed to sign Leon, a teenage full-back, but they couldn’t finalize the transaction until April, when he turned 18. The Paraguayan will formally be confirmed as a new signing at the beginning of next month after traveling to Manchester earlier this year to finish his initial medical exams.
The 18-year-old is reportedly going to sign a five-year contract with the team as part of a transfer price that might ultimately total up to £7 million. United will initially pay Cerro Porteño around £3.2 million, with potential add-ons that could increase the amount. Before his summer transfer is formally finalized, Diego Leon is anticipated to be in Manchester early this week.
Man Utd’s signing of Diego Leon is more significant than it might seem
According to reports, United will pay an initial cost of £3.3 million with an additional £820,000 in attainable add-ons. Cerro Porteño could receive an additional £2.87 million if León succeeds in achieving several more difficult goals. In the summer, he is anticipated to sign a five-year contract with an additional year’s option.
The acquisition of the young defender comes after several comparable transactions in recent years. After being identified by United’s future talent squad at the Under-17 World Cup in November 2023, Mali youth defensive midfielder Sékou Koné was purchased from Guidars FC for slightly over £1 million.
A month later, Chido Obi-Martin, a 17-year-old striker for Denmark’s Under-18 team, officially joined United from Arsenal. A further example of United’s shift to a younger target profile under the Ineos administration was the acquisition of France Under-21 defender Leny Yoro from Lille last summer, despite the fact that he cost nearly £59 million and was immediately promoted to the main squad.
