Manchester United Confirm Second Summer Signing: Diego León Joins from Paraguay
Manchester United have officially completed their second signing of the summer transfer window, finalizing a long-anticipated move for young defender Diego León.
Although an agreement for the Paraguayan youth international was reached in January, the transfer couldn’t be completed until León turned 18 in April. The full-back has now signed an initial five-year contract, with the deal potentially worth up to £7 million. United will pay Cerro Porteño an upfront fee of around £3.2 million, with the remainder coming through performance-based add-ons.
In a club statement, United said: “Manchester United are delighted to announce the signing of exciting young defender Diego León, subject to registration. The Paraguay youth international joins from Cerro Porteño, where he made 33 senior appearances and scored four goals.”
United’s Plans for León
León is expected to take part in pre-season training, which begins Monday. Several players — including Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, and Alejandro Garnacho — are not expected to attend, as they are exploring moves away from the club.
The Red Devils kick off their pre-season schedule with a match against Leeds United in Sweden on July 19, followed by games against West Ham (July 27), Bournemouth (July 31), Everton (August 3), and Fiorentina (August 10).
Though León will likely feature for the Under-21 side initially to help him adjust, he’s expected to train regularly with the first team. Manager Ruben Amorim, known for promoting young talent, could fast-track León’s involvement — much like he did with Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin last season.
León Confident of Making First-Team Impact
Speaking to reporters before flying to Manchester, León shared his ambitious mindset: “People think I’ll go out on loan, but that’s not how I see it. I’m going to give everything in pre-season, and I believe I’ll be in the first team within one or two games.”
He added, “The feelings are hard to describe — I’m extremely happy. It’s every player’s dream to join a club like this, and I’ve been given that chance. Everything has moved quickly, but I’m ready. I’m a professional now, and I have to adapt fast.”
A versatile left-sided defender, León is expected to be used primarily as a wing-back under Amorim. With Tyrell Malacia eyeing an exit and Luke Shaw struggling with injuries, León could find his path to the senior squad opening up sooner than expected.
