Diego Leon hasn’t got a minute of first-team football for Manchester United, and now he’s set to spend the rest of the 2025/26 campaign on loan.
When the Paraguayan teenager arrived at Carrington in the summer transfer window, there was uncertainty over whether he would be a first-team player or more in the academy.
Ruben Amorim chose Diego Leon over Harry Amass, opting to send the academy graduate on loan to give the new signing time to settle in England.
Poll: Should Man Utd buy another left wing-back?
Leon has played a handful of U21 games for United this season, with his workload gradually increasing under Travis Binnion, and the quality of his performances has also improved.
Now, Leon is set for a loan in January.
Diego Leon walking out for Manchester United training.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United planning to send Diego Leon to Nice
Despite limited minutes, Leon has shown quality for United’s U21 side this season, most notably when he scored a wonder goal.
But for his development, the 18-year-old Paraguayan needs to be playing first-team football, and he could soon be doing so with a loan move expected.
This is according to South American journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, who has claimed that Leon will head on loan and United already have plans to use Ineos’ multi-club link.
More United News
It is claimed that United are planning to send Leon to OGC Nice in Ligue 1, who are owned by Ineos, for the final months of the season from January onwards.
This would be a perfect loan for Leon, as United would know he is being looked after and would be able to keep tabs on his development closely, considering the Ineos link.
Would Nice be a good loan for Diego Leon?
It would be really exciting to see United utilising the link with Ineos-owned clubs more, especially Nice, given Ligue 1 is a top league with plenty of talent.
Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly captures the ethos of believing in youngsters ð¥ð
Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.
Sir Alex Ferguson speaking at the opening of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium in 2017
However, would it be a beneficial loan for Leon?
Well, Leon is already a senior Paraguay international, which showcases how highly regarded he is, and at Nice, he would get minutes.
Leon would not be a starter for Nice under Franck Haise, due to club captain Melvin Bard being their starting left wing-back.
But Leon would probably be the depth, and with Nice in Europe, he’d get plenty of minutes at a high level, which is much better than playing U21 football for United.
Interestingly, Nice plays a similar system to United with a 3-4-3 shape, which could suggest it is the style Ineos are keen to implement across the board to make inter-club moves seamless.