Man Utd defender Diego Leon watched from the stands as the Under-21s were beaten by Real Madrid on Tuesday
Diego Leon watched his U21 teammates.(Image: Steven Railston)
Manchester United defender Diego Leon was unavailable to play for the Under-21s against Real Madrid due to a knock. Leon was spotted in the Old Trafford directors’ box as Madrid beat the U21s on Tuesday.
Leon has spent the season playing for the U21s and would have been involved in the Premier League International Cup quarter-final, but he was unavailable for selection because he is currently recovering from a knock.
The Paraguay international last played for the U21s against Reading on March 20.
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Leon arrived from Paraguay club Cerro Porteno last summer. He featured during pre-season and was named in a handful of first-team squads by Ruben Amorim, but he was not handed a senior debut.
The 19-year-old completed a medical to finalise his move from Paraguay side Cerro Porteno in January 2025, but the deal outlined that he would move to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
United agreed a £3.3million fee, rising to £7m with add-ons, to sign the young defender. The club considered sending Leon on loan the winter window, but the decision was made to keep him within the building.
Leon’s representative, Renato Bittar, spoke in Paraguay about January, saying: “We still don’t have it clear if he’s going to go out on loan now, we have to keep watching. He’s evolving and that’s positive.”
Bittar added that it “would not be ideal” to interrupt his current season with a move away.
It’s understood that coaches believe Leon has plenty to work on. Academy fixtures have helped Leon improve, while staying in the building has allowed him to join the occasional first-team training session.
United unveiled Leon as a signing alongside Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko in August.