Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign the midfielderplaceholder image
Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign the midfielder | Getty Images
Man Utd have already reached an agreement to sign the talented teenager next year.
Cristiano Orozco is set to arrive in England over the next few days and sign his pre-contract agreement as a new Manchester United player.
United plan to overhaul their midfield next year and have already reached an agreement to sign Colombian teenager Orozco from Fortaleza FC for an initial $1 million (£740,000). The 17-year-old will soon sign his pre-contract agreement and meet club staff but will only move to Manchester when he turns 18 in July 2026.
It means the defensive midfielder will continue to feature for Fortaleza for the remainder of the season before he embarks on his new adventure next summer. He is expected to follow loosely in the path of fellow South American signing Diego Leon and will likely feature for the club at U21s level before a loan move is considered in 2027.
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Orozco flying to England 'very soon'
Manchester United plan to sign two midfielders next year and Ruben Amorim has a preference to sign at least one with Premier League experience. The deal for Cristian Orozco is viewed separately to these plans at first-team level, with him viewed as a project player with long-term potential rather than any immediate expectations to play.
Speaking in his latest YouTube video, notorious transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano issued an update on Orozco and his impending move to Manchester. “I can reveal to you today that in the next days there will be the first visit of the next Manchester United signing… Cristian Orozco," he said in the video.
“1 million is the transfer fee, but Man United believe that the value of this boy is going to be way higher very soon. Orozco is arriving in England very soon to complete the formal steps of his move. In the next days we will see Orozco signing his contract in Manchester United and starting the process to complete his move.”
Due to the fact he is still only 17, Orozco will not be able to complete a move to England until he turns 18 on 13 July next year. However, United were still be able to reach a pre-transfer agreement, just as they did when they signed Diego Leon from Cerro Porteño in the summer after they had agreed to sign him six months earlier.
United's interest in Orozco comes at a time when they are aiming to become more proactive with their international scouting and explore untapped markets that represent better value for money. There is a hope that by acting quickly, United can secure potential future stars for much smaller fees than if they had to buy them from another European club further down the line.
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