The 17-year-old Paraguayan is the latest talented youngster the Red Devils have snapped up as part of INEOS' long-term vision
Ever since Patrice Evra left the club in 2014, Manchester United have had a problem at left-back. The position has become so neglected that the team have essentially been operating without one for the last 12 months, with Tyrell Malacia struggling to recover from two nightmare knee surgeries while Luke Shaw is perpetually injured.
Being so ill-equipped in such a key area has hurt the team deeply, and was a big factor in them enduring their worst-ever Premier League finish last season, as well as their dismal current campaign. Diogo Dalot has had to deputise on the left when he is much better suited to the right, and United's need to address their dearth of left backs has been heightened by Ruben Amorim's use of a back three and wing-backs, which places a greater physical demand on those chosen for the role.
Thankfully, the club have prioritised one left-back who they believe will be one of the stars of the future in Diego Leon, the Paraguayan teenager who is blazing a trail in his first season in professional football with Cerro Porteno and who has agreed to join United in the summer. The 17-year old is a physical specimen who has the exact attributes to shine in Amorim's side, a powerful and ambitious player capable of shuttling up and down the flank while providing a real threat.
Leon is the latest youngster United have signed on the cheap after plucking Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal and wrapping up a deal for Mali Under-17s star Sekou Kone last year, having had great success bringing in Alejandro Garnacho from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
GOAL has the lowdown on the player who is set to become the first signing of the Amorim era, a player who could become a crucial part of the Portuguese's project for years to come:
Where it all began
Leon grew up in the Paraguayan city of Yguazu, near the borders of Argentina and Brazil and close to the iconic Iguazu waterfalls. But like many young South American footballers, his family often struggled to make ends meet.
His mother Brigida Blanco told Cerro Porteno's official media: "We often didn't have money to buy him a ball, so he'd grab a piece of fabric, roll it up and play with it. He would always say, 'one day I'm going to play for Cerro', and now he's doing it."
Leon joined Cerro Porteno's academy at U14 level and was called up to the senior team last year for their mid-season training camp in Malaga.
AdvertisementThe big break
Leon made his first-team debut in the opening game of the 2024 Clausara season against Sportivo Ameliano, and afterwards confessed that he was so excited he couldn't sleep. Despite the sleepless night, his first game could hardly have gone better as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win, creeping in at the back post to head home.
He scored again in his third game as a professional against General Caballero JLM with a strike that really made people sit up and notice, surging forward through the middle of the pitch, beating one defender and then smashing the ball into the net from just outside the area.
How it's going
Despite his young age, Leon locked down his place in the Cerro Porteno side, starting 18 of the team's 22 league games in the Clausura. A few weeks after making his debut, he was named among the top 10 full-backs under the age of 21 by the CIES Football Observatory, and it did not take long for his name to be linked with Europe's top sides.
Arsenal entered talks with Cerro Porteno over signing him in December, but United beat the Gunners to the punch, agreeing an initial fee of $4m (£3.2m) plus a potential $4.5m in add-ons.
Biggest strengths
Described as a "strapping lad" by South American football expert Tim Vickery, Leon does not look like a 17-year-old at all (aside from his braces) due to his outstanding physical prowess. He is pacey and powerful, but he also has impressive technical ability, being adept at keeping the ball under control while running at breakneck speed.
He is an attacking full-back renowned for getting into the final third, knocking in crosses and also getting on the end of them.
