Diego Leon: Manchester United make second signing of the summer as highly-rated teenager arrives

Leon has been unveiled today in a deal reported to be £10m if all add-on clauses are activated. He follows fellow South American Matheus Cunha as Ruben Amorim hopes to improve on the Old Trafford side’s dismal league showing last year.

Leon has come from Cerro Porteño in his homeland of Paraguay and has only made 33 league starts in his first-team career so far, scoring four.

He is a left-sided wing back, so can slot into Amorim’s obligatory 3-4-3 formation. His arrival will put pressure on Patrick Dorgu, who held the first-team role for most of the games after his arrival in the January window. United fans will hope he follows in the barnstorming footsteps of Ecuadorian Antonio Valencia, who always put in a shift in wide positions over 10 years with the Reds.

Previously his mum Brigida Blanco told Cerro Porteno's official media: "We often didn't have money to buy him a ball, so he'd grab a piece of fabric, roll it up and play with it. He would always say, 'one day I'm going to play for Cerro', and now he's doing it."

He started at that club in the under-14s and made it into the senior team last year.

Manchester United said today: “Leon reached the age of 18 in April and as an emerging talent will be supported by our first team and the Academy whilst he settles into life in Manchester. Welcome to United, Diego!”

The teenager is not short of confidence. He’s been quoted as saying: “Everyone thinks I’ll go out on loan, but I don’t have that mindset. I’m going to kill it in the preseason, and within one or two games, I’ll already be playing with them.

“The feelings are indescribable. You feel so many things. The truth is, I’m very happy, very happy to be there. I think every player dreams of this, and I have the opportunity. Thank God for the opportunity. I think it was a bit quick too, but hey, you have to adapt quickly once you’re there. I’m already a professional. You have to adapt quickly.

“I’ll have to adapt a bit to the climate, the language, and all that. I have a lot of confidence in myself. I’m going to be at the top with them. Now with the faith intact that I can succeed.”