Manchester United vs Crystal Palace team news and match preview
Man Utd have already reached an agreement to sign the midfielder next year.
United reached an agreement to sign the Colombian teenager from Fortaleza FC for an initial $1 million (£740,000) back in September. The 17-year-old will soon sign his pre-contract agreement and meet club staff, but will only officially move to Manchester when he turns 18 in July 2026.
It means the defensive midfielder will continue to feature for his current club 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 flies to England with United staff
Manchester United plan to refresh their midfield next year and have already reached an agreement to sign Colombian wonderkid Cristian Orozco. Ruben Amorim would like to add two midfielders to his first-team squad, though Orozco is viewed as a project player with long-term potential rather than any immediate expectations to play.
Taking to social media on Saturday, notorious transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano posted a picture of Orozco in the airport alongside United scout Giuseppe Antonaccio, who played a key role in negotiating the deal.
🚨🇨🇴 EXCLUSIVE: Cristian Orozco, on his way to England as he’s signing at Manchester United.
$1m deal sealed with Fortaleza for the Colombian midfielder.
He’s now travelling to Manchester with Lead Scout Giuseppe Antonaccio. ✈️ pic.twitter.com/KDFRmXZKHj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 29, 2025
"Cristian Orozco, on his way to England as he’s signing at Manchester United," Romano wrote. "$1m deal sealed with Fortaleza for the Colombian midfielder. He’s now travelling to Manchester with Lead Scout Giuseppe Antonaccio."
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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