Manchester United is about to add another teenager to its pipeline. Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco is scheduled to land in England this Sunday, according to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra. He won’t be traveling alone.
Giuseppe Antonaccio, United’s chief scout, will accompany the 17-year-old on the flight. That’s the same guy who pushed the club to go after Orozco in the first place. Once he’s on the ground, Orozco will go through medical testing before the club officially announces him as a Manchester United player.
The deal has been done in principle since September of last year. But Orozco stayed at Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia to finish their season because United had to wait until he turned 18 to make it official. That’s just how it works with international transfers for minors.
What United is getting
Orozco is a defensive midfielder who already captains Colombia’s Under-17 national team. He’s right-footed, aggressive in his tackling, and good at winning the ball back. Some scouts have compared him to Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo because of his physical style and defensive awareness. That’s a pretty high bar, but the comparison tells you what United thinks they’re getting.
He came up through Club de Pies a Cabeza and the Academia Rojo FC youth system. His profile is similar to Sekou Kone, the Mali kid United signed from Guidars FC in the summer of 2024. Both guys are long-term plays, not immediate first-team options.
Once the medical is done, Orozco will join United’s Under-21 squad for their preseason training camp in Germany. That’s where the club will start figuring out how quickly he can adapt to English football.
United already scouting the next one
While Orozco is about to get his move across the Atlantic, United hasn’t stopped looking at other young midfielders. The club is reportedly tracking Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old Mexican midfielder who’s already playing first-team minutes for Club Tijuana in Liga MX. He made his senior debut at 15, which is nuts.
Mora has also been turning heads at the World Cup in North America. He’s made two appearances for Mexico so far, and United reportedly had scouts at the Azteca Stadium to watch him play against the Czech Republic. The home crowd gave him a standing ovation.
United is competing with a bunch of other European clubs for Mora, but that’s becoming a familiar story at this point. The club is clearly betting on volume when it comes to teenage talent. Orozco is the latest test case.
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