Manchester United are set to sign young Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco, reports claim.
Multiple outlets including the Press Association state that the Red Devils have successfully negotiated a pre-contract agreement for the 17-year-old to leave Colombian top-division side Fortaleza CEIF and head to Old Trafford after he turns 18 next summer.
United have moved swiftly to secure the signing of a player who captained Colombia to the final of the South American Under-17 Championship on home soil earlier this year and has already impressed at club level after moving up in the summer.
It follows a growing trend of Premier League giants snapping up the best young footballing talent from South America, with Paraguayan teenage left-back Diego Leon joining United from Cerro Porteno in July.
Chelsea have signed the likes of Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos, Aaron Anselmino, Kendry Paez, Angelo Gabriel and Deivid Washington over recent years, while Gabriel Martinelli and Marquinhos were brought to Arsenal, West Ham welcomed Luis Guilherme and Manchester City moved for Vitor Reis over the summer, to name only a few.
Corinthians left-back Denner will also move to Chelsea next year, while the Blues have been linked in recent weeks with teenage Ecuadorian defender Deinner Ordonez - also said to be on the radar of multiple other European clubs, including Liverpool.
United previously decided against signing Moises Caicedo during his formative years in Ecuador with Independiente del Valle, with Brighton then getting him for £4million in January 2021 before he was sold to Chelsea two-and-a-half years later for an initial £100m fee that could rise to £115m - which would have been a British transfer record before Liverpool’s £125m swoop to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle on Deadline Day.
Africafoot also reported this week that United are pushing to beat Barcelona to the signing of 17-year-old Senegalese midfielder Mouhamed Dabo, who has already spent time at their Carrington training complex on trial having previously spent a month with the LaLiga champions at their famed La Masia academy.
