Manchester United has secured a £750,000 deal for the young talent, with scouts set to reassess two players! The club may sell a youth academy winger this weekend.

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Colombian youngster Cristian Orozco, a 17-year-old midfielder currently playing for Fortaleza CEIF in his home country. Both clubs have reached a preliminary agreement, with the transfer expected to be completed as early as next summer.

According to international transfer regulations, Orozco must turn 18 before officially transferring to England. This situation mirrors that of Paraguayan left-back Diego León, who joined Manchester United for £7 million this season but had to wait until after his 18th birthday on July 18 last year to officially join Ruben Amorim’s squad this summer.

Orozco primarily plays as a defensive midfielder and has made a strong impression in South American football thanks to his fierce determination and excellent positional awareness. He is often compared to Chelsea’s Ecuadorian defensive midfielder Caicedo and exhibits leadership qualities, serving as captain of the national youth team.

Orozco has been selected for Colombia’s youth team and reached the final of the 2025 South American U17 Championship. According to Colombian journalist Pipe Serra, Manchester United paid a £750,000 ($1 million) transfer fee to secure Orozco. The club plans to continue monitoring his performance and will decide on his next steps after he passes the medical and completes signing formalities.

If Manchester United believes he is not yet ready to move to England, the club will consider letting him continue developing at Fortaleza or sending him on loan to another club owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Last season, the 18-year-old French forward Enzo Canha-Bjork, signed by Manchester United, was loaned to Swiss Lausanne-Sport, owned by Inlyx.

Sir Jim places great emphasis on recruiting young players, and Manchester United’s scouts have been tasked with closely watching the upcoming U20 World Cup in Chile. Two promising talents have caught United’s attention at this tournament. Premier League transfer expert Graeme Bailey identified one of them as goalkeeper Ebeneezer Harcout.

Earlier this year, the 15-year-old goalkeeper made history by becoming Nigeria’s youngest ever international player during the African Nations Cup in Nigeria. In that match, he kept a clean sheet, helping Nigeria secure a victory over Congo.

Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora has also attracted Manchester United’s interest. He is already one of the most highly regarded young players worldwide, with almost every top European and other global club showing interest. At just 16 years old, having played for the first team since age 15, United is very eager to sign him.

While fresh talent is arriving, some youth players with limited future prospects at Manchester United are gradually leaving. Twenty-one-year-old winger Sam Mather has been seeking a transfer this summer. Although most league transfer windows have closed, there are still opportunities for moves. Abu Dhabi United from the UAE may reach an agreement with the Red Devils this weekend to sign Mather.

Mather, who won the FA Youth Cup with Manchester United U18 in 2022 alongside Ganacho and Kobe Meno, had the chance to join Turkish club Kayserispor before the summer window closed but the deal fell through. Now he has received an offer from the Middle East. According to the Manchester Evening News, United insists on including a buy-back clause in the deal, and whether the transfer goes through depends on whether the UAE side agrees to this condition. Abu Dhabi United has been told to decide by this weekend or Mather will remain at United. This week, he has been training with the first team under Amorim.