Diego Leon: What Amorim thinks of United full-back as loan talk persists | OneFootball

Diego Leon is yet to make his senior Manchester United debut, but a bold claim from South American journalist Christian Martin suggests he may not have to wait much longer.

The 18-year-old was the first signing of the Ruben Amorim era.

Back in the winter, INEOS an initial £3.3 million deal with Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno for the exciting young left-back.

Unlike the other January signings, Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu, Leon did not make the immediate switch to Old Trafford. Both clubs had to wait until he turned 18 in July to finalise the move.

Once officially on board, the full-back linked up with the United squad for their pre-season tour of the USA.

Keen to assess his readiness for a first-team role, head coach Ruben Amorim provided him with opportunities in friendlies against Leeds, West Ham United, and Bournemouth.

Leon did enough to convince the United technical bench to retain him rather than send him out on loan.

However, given how raw he still is, the club did not want to throw him to the wolves. Leon has had to start with the youth sides, allowing him to progress gradually through the ranks.

Youth team impact

With the youth side, Leon has made an impression. His highlight so far came in a 4–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored a stunning goal for the U21S.

Aside from his exploits with the youth team, it is worth noting that Leon has been training regularly with the senior team and has already featured in a couple of matchday squads.

There has already been a hint of a clear pathway for his breakthrough, with Under-21 boss Travis Binnion confirming that everything is going to plan.

Leon part of the plan

Not long after Binnion’s comments, South American journalist Christian Martin offered further insight into Leon’s trajectory.

“Diego Leon is going with the national team. Right? They talked about it even though he’s with the U21S,” Martin told Versus.

“At United, he’s getting more and more involved with the first team. He’s definitely in United’s plans in the short and medium term.”

Doubts cleared

Those remarks certainly help dispel doubts surrounding Leon, especially from those who feared he was not in Amorim’s plans.

There had already been murmurs that United might reconsider and send him out on loan.

But with these assurances, it is clear that the Paraguayan international will get his chance sooner rather than later.

And with Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu both struggling at left wing-back, Leon has a genuine opportunity to break into the United first team and prove his mettle.

Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images

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