•Cristian Orozco
Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign teenage midfielder Cristian Orozco.
Orozco, 17, currently plays for Fortaleza CEIF and has captained Colombia’s Under-17 team.
The defensive midfielder played a key role in helping Colombia reach the final of the U17 South American Championship earlier this year. He has been identified as an exciting young talent with first-team potential.
However, Orozco will not be able to complete a move to Old Trafford until he turns 18 next year. He will continue to play for Fortaleza CEIF until the transfer can be finalised in July.
Orozco is expected to arrive in Manchester with a profile similar to Sekou Kone, who joined United’s academy from Malian club Guidars FC for around £1million in the 2024 summer transfer window.
Kone impressed scouts playing for Mali at the Under-17 World Cup before his transfer to United. Orozco’s strong performances at the recent U17 South American Championship have drawn similar attention.
United have broadened their academy recruitment in recent years due to Brexit rules, which prevent them from signing players from Europe.
In January, the club agreed a £3.3million fee, rising to £7million with add-ons, with Cerro Porteno to sign Diego Leon.
The deal stipulated that Leon would complete his move from Paraguay in the summer window. Leon impressed coaches at Carrington and worked exclusively with the first team in pre-season.
He was introduced to the Old Trafford crowd alongside Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko.
