Manchester United are close to completing the signing of Diego Leon after the defender was spotted at an airport.
The left-back will not officially join United until he turns 18 in April, but reports from his native Paraguay that Leon traveled to England this weekend to undergo medical treatment and complete the move.
Leon has impressed since making his first-team debut for Cerro Porteno last August and has also been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. However, he is now set to join United and will become the first new signing under Ruben Amorim.
Paraguayan journalist Juan Denis shared several photos on social media of Leon at the airport as he prepared to fly to Manchester. According to La Nacion, United are keen for the teenager to 'get to know the club's facilities'.
The report also states that Leon will only spend a few days in Manchester as he will feature for Paraguay's Under-20 players in the South American Under-20 Championship which kicks off in Venezuela this month.
United will pay an initial fee of around £3 million, but there are certain add-ons included in the deal. Paraguayan outlet Versus also reports that the current plan is for Leon to stay at Cerro Porteno for the first half of the year before joining United in the summer for pre-season.
Leon will join at a time when United are in desperate need of more depth at left-back, with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia currently out of action. The pair have struggled with injuries in recent years and have been limited to just fourteen Premier League starts since the start of last season.
Leon has been compared to Real Madrid legend Marcelo and Manolo Jimenez, who handed him his Cerro Porteno debut, believes he has a big future. “Manchester United saw in him what I saw and what my teammates saw. I am honestly very happy that this signing can be completed,” he told Versus.
“I hope everything goes well with him in everything that will happen. He is a prototype of a full-back in many attacking conditions. With his age, he still has time to improve in his defensive aspect, and that is what he must grow.”
“In Manchester they will definitely give him the right job so that he can develop. The day he is clear about his decision-making, he will be a great player and not make mistakes that cannot be criticized. But [these] are typical of his age and his inexperience.”
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