DONE DEAL: Man completes another winter transfer signing, player will join in January
Manchester United are reportedly closing in on the first signing of Ruben Amorim’s managerial reign in teenage defender Diego Leon.
Reports first emerged on Wednesday that the Red Devils were locked in talks with Paraguayan top-flight side Cerro Porteno over a deal for the 17-year-old left-back worth around £6million with add-ons included.
Leon was said to have travelled to England in order to discuss the move, with Fabrizio Romano now reporting that an agreement between the clubs is close as negotiations continue over his contract.
Jason Wilcox is believed to be overseeing the deal in his role as United’s technical director, with the club having already signed midfield prospect Emmanuel Ziro this week as they look to bolster their youth ranks.
Ziro had been in the Cre8tive Football Academy in west London and is said to have attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea before penning terms at Old Trafford.
Wilcox now looks to be taking on a more prominent transfer role at United with an important January window fast approaching, their first under new head coach Amorim.
According to the Daily Mail, the former Blackburn, Leeds and England winger – who joined from Southampton earlier this year having previously spent 11 years at Manchester City, where he was academy director – is temporarily stepping into the role of sporting director Dan Ashworth, whose shock departure by mutual consent after only five months at the club was confirmed last week.
Wilcox looks set to work closely with Christopher Vivell, United’s interim director of recruitment who was brought aboard over the summer after previously spending only seven months as technical director at Chelsea before the Blues turned to Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart as co-sporting directors.
