Manchester United are on the brink of signing Colombian youth international Cristian Orozco, who is expected to arrive in the UK in the 'next few days.' According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, United are set to pay Colombian side Fortaleza a fee of $1million (£755,000).
The Red Devils reportedly hold the young midfielder in high regard, with Orozco having been capped 13 times by his country at youth level. His imminent arrival forms part of an aggressive recruitment strategy led by transfer chief Jason Wilcox, who has targeted the defensive midfielder.
The 17-year-old will officially join the ranks at Old Trafford next year after celebrating his 18th birthday in July and will sign his contract during his 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 present, and United chiefs may rue their decision to abandon transfer talks in 2021. The club were in discussions with Caicedo during his time at Independiente del Valle back in January 2021, but allegedly walked away from a deal due to interference from several agents.
Caicedo's asking price of £5.5m was considered too steep, but he would later shatter the British record transfer fee and sign for Chelsea for a staggering £115m. United are demonstrating a commitment to learning from past errors, having already brought in several promising young talents from around the world.
Last summer, they signed budding left-back Diego Leon as part of their scouting efforts in South America. They also secured the services of highly-rated Sekou Kone from Guidars FC last year, who has been likened to former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.
Naturally, these young talents have some distance to cover before they're ready for United's first-team, but the club's transfer gurus are hopeful they can mould them into stars. Romano further reveals that United are aiming to bolster their midfield during the 2026 transfer windows, suggesting they could bring in up to two starters between January and the summer.
Joao Gomes is one of the players on the club's radar and is seen as a potential opportunity by United if Wolves decide to sell in the January transfer window.