Manchester United are keen to land South American sensation Cristian Orozco
Manchester United have been looking to bring in some highly regarded young players to the roster at Carrington as the Premier League heavyweights look to dip into the South American market to attract the best of their talent to Old Trafford. The Manchester Reds have been looking to bring in Colombian teenage midfielder Cristian Orozco. (h/t Football Insider)
United are said to have agreed a pre-contract deal to bring him to M16, which is set to activate when he turns 18 next year.
The move for the 17-year-old has connections to the club’s failed pursuit of Moises Caicedo a few years back. While United were extensively linked with a move for the now Chelsea midfielder during his early years, the club didn’t act. But this time around, the club wants to be more proactive, especially when it comes to South America.
The 17-year-old is currently playing for Fortaleza in Colombia. And he has a few appearances under his belt for Colombia’s U17s. But as mentioned above, even with the pre-agreement, he will not move to United quite right away. Given the FIFA rules on minors and international transfers, he can only officially move to Old Trafford after his 18th birthday (in July 2026).
United finally waking up with Orozco transfer
Man United were looking at Moises Caicedo quite early, but while the decision-makers at Carrington were second-guessing whether to sign him, Brighton went ahead and secured his services. And that is something that the Manchester Reds want to avoid again as they bring in Orozco.
South America has been a goldmine for Europe’s elite over the last few years. We have seen Chelsea move quite aggressively to have the likes of Estevao and Kendry Paez going to Stamford Bridge. We have seen Arsenal and Man City going and snapping up teenage Brazilians over the last years. And it looks like United have now woken up to the reality that you can’t wait around for a bargain; you may just need to go and get one.
WAFU Opinion
This is exactly the kind of transfer that United should be looking to pursue. We have seen how the transfer policy at M16 has been for many years now: go for big names with big wages and no sell-on value. But in Orozco, this transfer is in complete contrast. You are getting a young player. More of a hungry midfielder for a cheap fee and a lot of potential.