Diego Leon played 45 minutes for Manchester United’s under-21s side against Liverpool in the Premier League 2 on Sunday afternoon.
Before Manchester United’s final pre-season fixture against David de Gea’s Fiorentina, the four first-team signings were unveiled for the Old Trafford crowd.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were followed by Benjamin Šeško, while Diego Leon also stood before the fans, officially branding him as a senior signing despite his young age.
Leon signed for United in January, but couldn’t make the move to England until he turned 18, so he joined up with Rúben Amorim’s squad for the first time this summer.
With Patrick Dorgu the first choice, Amorim had to decide who would play back up between Leon and Harry Amass, who made seven senior appearances last season.
Despite his experience and time with the squad, Amass was loaned to Sheffield Wednesday, and Leon took his place on the pre-season tour of the United States.
Leon struggles for the under-21s
Despite being named on the bench on multiple occasions this season, Leon is yet to make his competitive debut for the first team, and he has begun to play for the under-21s to stay sharp.
During the international break, the Paraguayan played against a PFA side – featuring players who hadn’t yet signed for a new club – and looked promising but not ready for a senior call-up.
On Sunday afternoon, Leon again played for the under-21s side, this time in the Premier League 2, as United took on Liverpool away from home.
Leon started as a left-back in a back four and struggled to make a real impact on the game before being withdrawn at the interval. The Liverpool goal came from his side after a mix-up between the left-back and Bendito Mantato.
United academy journalist Nathan Salt took to social media to describe Leon’s 45 minutes, he said: “Diego Leon off at half-time as James Scanlon comes on. Pretty tough 45 that for Leon. Very raw.”
Leon struggles backs Amorim pre-season call
As United’s most natural replacement for Dorgu, Leon’s struggles aren’t to be laughed at, but they do support Amorim’s decision to keep him at the club during the summer.
Leon needs to settle into life in Manchester. He is still so young and will likely improve with time in a settled environment.
Loaning him out to an EFL side – like Amass has been – would have piled more pressure onto Leon’s shoulders. He needs time to achieve his full potential. Meanwhile, Amass is getting the opportunity to play regular football at senior level, something he is ready for.
Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw can all fill in for Dorgu, while Leon develops in the under-21s, and Amass improves his physical qualities in the Championship.
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