Man Utd ‘identify £4m star from little-known league’ as Ruben Amorim’s first signing but he can’t join in January
MANCHESTER UNITED have identified their first signing under new manager Ruben Amorim ahead of the January transfer window.
According to talkSPORT, United are are in talks to sign Cerro Porteno’s teenage star Diego Leon, who plays in Costa Rica’s first division and is valued at around £4million.
Negotiations are being led by Man Utd technical director Jason Wilcox after Dan Ashworth’s shock exit as sporting director just five months into the job.
However, Leon, 17, won’t be able to move to Old Trafford during the winter market.
That is because the left-back is under 18 and thus the Red Devils will have to wait until at least April.
FA and Premier League rules do not allow clubs to sign players based abroad before their 18th birthday.
However, the rules do not prevent teams from agreeing deals for underaged players.
The Paraguayan ace stood out last season in Costa Rica with 19 appearances, which saw him score twice.
United have struggled at the left-back position with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia being stricken by injury.
Shaw recently returned from a calf strain but suffered a setback and immediately returned to the treatment room.
Inside Man Utd chaos amid Ashworth departure
THE blame game has another victim as things go from bad to worse at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s first sporting director, Dan Ashworth, arrived in the summer and is gone before Christmas.
SunSport exclusively revealed last month that there was trouble at mill.
That the new senior management team were already blaming each other for the mess the club were in.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and Ashworth were trying to wash their hands of it all, claiming they had arrived too late after serving their gardening leave.
New part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said making decisions was all down to them. Meanwhile, Jason Wilcox thought it was all a mess under previous boss Erik ten Hag but was part of the team that encouraged him to stay after every other candidate ran for cover.
There is word Ashworth did not favour appointing his successor and new head coach Ruben Amorim, preferring an English manager with more experience in our game. Perhaps that was why ex-England gaffer Gareth Southgate’s name was always mentioned after they worked together at the FA.
Either way, Saturday’s showing against Nottingham Forest, after their second-half capitulation at Arsenal a few days previously, proved too much.
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This comes after reports suggesting new manager Amorim will work on a much smaller budget than predecessor Erik ten Hag.
During Ten Hag’s two-and-a-half years in charge, the Manchester giants splashed more than £600million.
That included £86m on Antony, £70m on Casemiro, £72m on Rasmus Hojlund and £60m on Mason Mount.
However, Amorim will have to work with less amid the growing PSR theat.
Ten Hag's Man Utd signings
The Dutchman has brought in 21 players since moving to Old Trafford in 2022
2022-23:
Antony, (Ajax) £86m
Casemiro, (Real Madrid) £70m
Lisandro Martinez, (Ajax) £46m
Tyrell Malacia, (Feyenoord) £13m
Christian Eriksen, (Brentford) free
Martin Dubravka, (Newcastle) loan
Wout Weghorst, (Burnley) loan
Jack Butland, (Crystal Palace) loan
Marcel Sabitzer, (Bayern Munich) loan
2023-24:
Rasmus Hojlund, (Atalanta) £72m
Mason Mount, (Chelsea) £60m
Andre Onana, (Inter Milan) £47m
Sofyan Amrabat, (Fiorentina) loan
Altay Bayindir, (Fenerbahce) £4.3m
Jonny Evans, (Leicester) free
Sergio Reguilon, (Tottenham) loan
2024-25:
Leny Yoro, (Lille) £52m
Manuel Ugarte, (Paris Saint-Germain) £50m
Matthijs de Ligt, (Bayern Munich) £45m
Joshua Zirkee, (Bologna) £36.5m
Noussair Mazraoui, (Bayern Munich) £12.8m