Set to sign next summer
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Things haven’t been great on the pitch for Manchester United so far this season as their poor form under Rúben Amorim has continued, but their recruitment team is still working hard behind the scenes to bring in future talent. And the Red Devils have now sealed the signing of one of the most exciting young prospects in Colombia. According to reports, Man United have now completed a deal to bring in 17-year-old Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco from Fortaleza. The signing is expected to cost around €850k and will be valid from next summer.
Holding midfield is a position United have struggled with. Casemiro is not the player he once was – the ageing Brazilian struggles to keep up with the pace of the Premier League, whilst, thus far, Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte has failed to cut the mustard at Old Trafford. It’s unlikely Orozco will come straight into the first-team next summer, and he will likely be given some time to adapt in the youth set-up as he adjusts to life in a new country on a new continent. But United could be signing a future star. With expert insight from Colombia, Transfermarkt brings you more on Orozco.
What can Cristian Orozco bring to Old Trafford?
Orozco only turned 17 years old in July and has already represented Colombia U17 nine times. Samuel Vazquez Rivas is Transfermarkt’s Area Manager in Colombia based in the hustle and bustle of Medellin, and tells us more about what type of talent Man United are signing: “Orozco is a leader in midfield. He is physically strong and dominant in his own half. He has been the captain of the Colombian U-17 national team and has already been recruited for the U-20 team.” Nevertheless, incredibly the Red Devils are signing a player who is yet to make his bow in senior club football.
“Despite his development with the Colombian youth set-up, he hasn’t played professionally for his club, so he is not very popular in Colombia,” Vazquez Rivas reveals. That’s quite an phenomenal achievement to earn a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world without even making a senior appearance for his club side Fortaleza in Colombia, but Man United Lead Scout Giuseppe Antonaccio was thought to be instrumental in the move. “He is a natural recuperator and often starts play from the back of the field, making him the heart of his team,” Vazquez Rivas continues. Man United will be hoping they have unearthed the latest South American gem.