In the lively atmosphere of the football transfer window, Manchester United welcomed a new face that has attracted much attention. 18-year-old left-back Diego Leon said goodbye to his family and friends in Paraguay on Tuesday and traveled more than 6,000 miles to England to start a new chapter in his career at Manchester United. ​
Leon's joining was actually paved for a long time. As early as January this year, he had completed a medical examination and signed a 4-year contract with Manchester United. However, due to the relevant regulations of international transfers, he needs to be 18 years old to officially complete the transfer process. Now, with the arrival of his birthday, he has finally embarked on the journey to Manchester. Previously, Leon also visited Carrington, where he took photos with Lisandro Martinez, Ganacho, and even former Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne, which also made him full of expectations for his future life at Manchester United.​
From the transfer fee, Manchester United paid a fixed amount of 3.2 million pounds to get Leon, and there are also floating clauses, which makes the final transfer fee as high as 7 million pounds. Although this figure is not a huge amount in today's transfer market, it is undoubtedly Manchester United's recognition of the potential of this 18-year-old potential star. ​
However, Leon's joining Manchester United was not smooth sailing. Under the command of Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim, the competition for the left-back position is extremely fierce. In addition to Patrick Dolgu, who was introduced by Amorim himself, there are many competitors such as England international Luke Shaw and young player Harry Armas. For this reason, the British media "Manchester World" once predicted that Leon might be loaned out after joining, such as joining Lausanne Sports in Switzerland owned by Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, in order to get more game training opportunities.​
But Leon obviously has his own ideas. Before boarding the plane to Manchester, he confidently said: "Everyone thinks I will be loaned out, but I don't have that idea. I'm going to kill it in the pre-season. After one or two games, I will be ready to play with them." From his words, it is not difficult to feel the ambition of this young player. Although he looks much more mature than his actual age, Leon said he had no pressure when talking about joining Manchester United. He believes that this is an opportunity that every player dreams of. In addition, he also hopes to return to the top with Manchester United. He firmly believes that he can succeed in Manchester United. ​
Manchester United fans are very happy with Leon's confident, fighting spirit and wisdom. However, it is not easy to gain a foothold in a giant team like Manchester United. In the past, many coaches and players have made bold statements when joining Manchester United, but few of them can really achieve their goals. For Leon, how to turn his bold words into practical actions is the biggest challenge he faces.​
According to the "Sports Network", Manchester United's plan is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Leon after his arrival. It is generally expected that he may first play for the club's under-21 youth team (reserve team) for a period of time to slowly adapt to the rhythm and style of English football. However, the British media also predicted that Leon is very likely to be selected for Amorim's pre-season squad. This is undoubtedly an excellent stage for Leon to show himself. If he can really kill the Quartet in the pre-season as he said, then he may really be able to win a place in Manchester United's first team. ​
In the new season, Manchester United has been making constant moves in the transfer market, and Leon's arrival is only part of it. Whether he can write his own legend in Manchester United, become the team's future defensive core, or be gradually forgotten in the fierce competition, let us wait and see. As for Manchester United fans, they undoubtedly hope that this new aid can fulfill his promise and help the team achieve better results in the new season. ​