Manchester United’s search to bolster their options at left back has taken them to Paraguay and, more specifically, to Cerro Porteno.

Highly rated young left-back Diego Leon has signed for Manchester United in a deal worth £7million, making him the club’s second summer addition after Matheus Cunha. 

The 18-year-old has broken into Cerro Porteno’s first team in Paraguay’s Primera Division, making 21 appearances and scoring two goals, which caught the eye of scouts from Arsenal and Manchester City earlier this year.

But who is Leon and what could he offer United in the future?

Mail Sport takes a closer look at the Paraguayan teenager that Manchester United have snatched away from their top-flight rivals

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old South American Diego Leon 

The defender will travel from Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno to join the Premier League side

Leon travelled to Carrington to ink the landmark deal, which will be worth up to £7million

WHO IS HE?

Leon’s story is an inspirational one, a tale of a youngster in relative obscurity that made it to the big time as the youngest of seven sisters and one brother.

‘Many times we didn’t have the money to buy him a ball and he would grab a piece of cloth, roll it up and play,’ his mother Brigida Blance once said.

‘”Someday I’m going to play at Cerro” he always told me, and now he’s keeping his promise,’ she added.

Originally from Yguazu, in the Alto Paraná region around 300km from the capital, León has had to fight and scrap to get his chance at Cerro Porteño, who he joined when he was 10.

Slowly but surely he rose up through the youth teams, leaving coaches blown away with every passing season as he began to shine brighter than his peers.

He is also a player that can say what few others can say: that he won Player of the Month without actually playing in that month. Let us explain.

The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) chose Leon as the best player in the month of July.

The only problem with that choice was that his official debut with Cerro Porteno didn’t take place until August 1, when he made his first appearance in the Clausura Tournament first-round against Sportivo Ameliano.

Leon (middle) comes from a big family and he remains very close to his parents and siblings

He achieved a lot in academy teams and quickly went on to win team and individual prizes

He has continued his physical development and broke into Cerro Porteno’s first team at 17

It was due to take place in July, save for a postponement due to a fixture clash for Cerro Porteno, and given he played so well, the Paraguayan FA awarded him July’s Player of the Month anyway.

Leon is not the finished article but he is humble and getting better since making his fairytale league debut when he scored the winning goal against Sportivo Ameliano.

Adored by senior management and supporters, Cerro Porteno marked his ascension to the first team with an heartwarming video that showed his career to that point, from his first steps in the academy to his first team bow.

‘I have been preparing for this opportunity for four years, and you have to take advantage of it when it comes,’ Leon said recently. 

‘Now I am thinking about everything that happened this season. The night before my debut I couldn’t sleep because of the excitement!’ 

Speaking to Tigo Sports specifically about his debut he added: ‘It is what every kid dreams of. 

‘I invite them to dream. I am a dreamer, but I had the support of my family and thanks to the manager (Manolo Jimenez) who gave me the opportunity and I took advantage of it.’

Now his story is set to write it’s most intriguing chapter yet.

WHAT IS HIS SKILL-SET?

Scouts have purred over the 18-year-old’s potential in recent months with Leon a quick, tall, athletic and technically good on the ball full-back.

In August, the CIES Football Observatory ranked him as one of the top five U18 players in the world.

Leon scored 72.8 points as part of CIES’ breakdown, which didn’t include Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal.

Taking Yamal out of the equation, first place went to Ecuadorian Kendry Paez of Independiente del Valle (83.8 points), while Estevao William of Palmeiras (79.2 points) and Argentine Franco Mastantuono of River Plate (78.4 points) finished second and third respectively.

In fourth place – fifth place if Yamal is taken into account – was Leon.

‘Paraguay have recently developed some really good left-backs, so this would be another one to be part of the mix if he were to ever get called up to the national team,’ Paraguayan football expert Roberto Rojas said at the time, as per Transfermarkt.

CIES Football Observatory rated Leon as the fourth-best Under-18 player in the world

‘The links to European football have shown that León is a different case, especially at such a young age. It remains to be seen what his ceiling will be, but from the start, it shows he has something that can be very important in the future.

‘Like any 17-year-old with little experience playing professionally, León is still raw and has a lot he can improve on before making a big jump outside the country.’

His athleticism is a huge appealing factor to United with the necessity to unearth gems outside of traditional big European markets.

Energy and athleticism are going to be crucial in the longer term for United to maximise potential in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system which, as so often is the case, is so dependent on the output of its wing-backs.

His positional play still needs fine-tuning while his tactical discipline has been highlighted as an area of improvement but that is only natural at just 18.

It should also be stressed that while Julio Enciso and Enso Gonzalez have made seamless transitions from the Paraguayan Primera Division to the Premier League at a young age, Leon is seen as one for the future at United rather than a youngster under immediate pressure to hit the ground running.

WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR HARRY AMASS?

Optically, signing a player the same age as you and in the same position is not a great sign.

So it is only natural that questions are being asked about what the future holds for United’s current star academy left back, Harry Amass.

The future of academy left back Harry Amass will come into focus with the Leon move

The former Watford full-back has three years left on the professional deal he signed at United and he remains very highly rated by academy staff, breaking into the first team under Amorim. 

Amass made his first senior start for the club against Newcastle in the Premier League in April, and made five appearances in England’s top division during the 2024-25 campaign.

The Carrington graduate also made two Europa League appearances.