MANCHESTER UNITED have completed the signing of Colombia Under-17 captain Cristian Orozco.
The 17-year-old defensive midfielder only joined current club Fortaleza earlier this year, but United have moved swiftly to secure a deal ahead of rival interest.
Orozco has featured nine times for Colombia’s U17s in 2024 and is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in South America.
He will officially join the Red Devils next year after he turns 18 in July, in line with FIFA regulations on international transfers.
United are keen to avoid a repeat of their Moises Caicedo blunder, when they pulled out of a move for the Ecuadorian in 2020 due to complications with agents and a £5.5million price tag — only to watch him join Chelsea two-and-a-half years later for a British record £115m.
This marks another successful South American swoop under United’s revamped recruitment strategy, following the summer arrival of 18-year-old left-back Diego Leon.
New director of football Jason Wilcox has made a bold push for overseas talent since taking charge, with SunSport revealing the club are also tracking Angers left-back Dan Sinate — a 19-year-old Mali youth international and compatriot of Sekou Kone, who joined United last year.
United have overhauled their scouting system, trimming their global network from over 100 scouts to just ten, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell taking on an enhanced role.
The streamlined approach appears to be paying dividends and Orozco’s arrival is the latest sign of a more decisive, aggressive transfer strategy at Old Trafford.
The club finished 15th in the league last season and has since invested heavily in players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
They also went all out to sign Benjamin Sesko, who was also linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool over the summer.
Not much has changed, though, as they have only won two games, and there is growing pressure on manager Ruben Amorim after the 3-1 defeat to Brentford.
However, in a show of determination to get it right, the club has said they will back Amorim to turn things around.
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