"Strapping figure" Diego Leon shows fire needed to prove Man Utd doubters wrong

It has been a strange transfer window for Manchester United with a blistering start being followed by a period of uncertainty and indecisiveness.

Most clubs would probably have moved on from negotiating a fee for Bryan Mbeumo by now and trying to sell five players who don’t want to be at the club isn’t doing them any favours either. What is encouraging though, is that one eye to the future and a large casting of the net might have thrown up a gem.

What has a South American football expert said about Diego Leon?

United might well have landed the next Marcelo in Diego Leon, the 18-year old left back who arrives from Cerro Porteno after an initial agreement was reached in January. Speaking to BBC Manchester, South American football expert Tim Vickery has urged patience, even if the player himself disagrees: "There isn't a great deal behind him yet - he's one for the long term," Vickery said. "He's a strapping figure but happier as an attacking left-back, so in United's system he's much more a wing-back than a member of the back three.

"He's not yet someone who his club sees as a decisive player in Paraguayan league football - so I suspect United fans will have to be with this one for the long haul.

"They have to bring him along carefully, there'll be a lot of work. He'll need some flogging on the training ground, especially the defensive side of things, and it is unlikely he is going to make an immediate impact.

"He is much more potential than he is reality. I like his physicality, his left foot and the fact he can go outside and cross, but he can also get in the penalty area on the diagonal and there is a goal in him."

Will Leon be happy being patient at Man Utd?

Leon disagrees entirely, as already reported by Manchester World, and the teen defender is intent on making the left wing-back slot his own when pre-season kicks off: "Everyone thinks I'll go out on loan, but I don't have that mindset," he said. "I'm going to kill it in the preseason, and within one or two games, I'll already be playing with them.

“The feelings are indescribable. You feel so many things. The truth is, I’m very happy, very happy to be there,” continued Leon as he sets his stall out and issues both Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu a warning for the season ahead.

Dorgu might be little more than a year older than Leon, however, he already has over 100 senior appearances to his name including over 50 in Serie A. It would take some effort for Leon to usurp Dorgu in the pecking order and force his way into Amorim’s plans. The exuberence of youth, or a player who backs himself and won’t stop until he reaches the top? Time will tell.