Manchester United are close to signing Colombian youth international Cristian Orozco, who is expected to arrive in the UK in the “coming days”. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, United will pay Colombian side Fortaleza a transfer fee of $1 million (approximately £755,000).
The Red Devils reportedly rate the young midfielder highly, with Orozco having made 13 caps for his country at youth level. His impending arrival is part of an aggressive reinforcement strategy led by transfer chief Jason Wilcox, targeting defensive midfielders.
The 17-year-old will officially join the squad at Old Trafford next year after celebrating his 18th birthday in July, and is expected to sign his contract during a trip to Manchester. Orozco, who only joined his current club Fortaleza in the summer, has been likened to fellow Colombian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The current Chelsea midfielder is one of the Premier League’s top performers at the moment and United bosses may regret their decision to abandon transfer talks in 2021. The club held talks with Caicedo in January 2021, when he was at Independiente del Valle, but the deal is said to have been evaded due to interference from multiple agents.
Caicedo’s offer of £5.5 million was considered too high, but he would later break the British transfer record and sign for Chelsea for a staggering £115 million. United have shown a willingness to learn from their past mistakes and have already brought in a number of promising young talents from around the world.
Last summer, they signed up-and-coming left-back Diego Leon as part of their scouting efforts in South America. They also secured the services of highly-touted Sekou Kone, who has been likened to former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, from Gidders FC last year.
Naturally, these young talents will have to go some distance before breaking into United’s first team, but the club’s transfer leaders are hopeful they will develop into star players. Romano also revealed that United are looking to strengthen their midfield during the 2026 transfer window, suggesting they could bring in up to two star players between January and the summer.
João Gomez is one of the players the club are keeping an eye on, and United see him as a potential opportunity should Wolves decide to sell him in the January transfer window.
