Wonderkid Cristian Orozco is set to complete a move to Manchester United in 2026 and the midfielder has an exciting skillset.
It is no secret that Manchester United want to strengthen their midfield options in 2026 with several departures expected.
Cristian Orozco was pictured at the airport this week as he made his trip to England to sign for the Red Devils. The Colombian midfielder is set to join in June 2026 after he turns 18 years old.
Cristian Orozco – Have Manchester United just signed the next midfield superstar? 🇨🇴
According to Fabrizio Romano, United agreed a £1m fee for Orozco, with staff already confident that his value is going to soar.
United beat five clubs to Orozco’s signature, and there is already excitement building about his potential to become a superstar.
Why Cristian Orozco is being compared to Moises Caicedo
Before the deal was even struck, former United scout Nicolas Cinalli made comparisons between Orozco and Caicedo.
United missed out on Caicedo in 2021 when he was available for just £4.5 million. Just two years later, he made a record-breaking £115m move to Chelsea.
Ecuadorian outlet El Diario have added to the Orozco-Caicedo comparisons, listing out the 17-year-old’s impressive skillset.
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They state that United “see Cristian Orozco as a modern defensive midfielder, with aggressive ball recovery, accurate long passes, and emotional maturity rarely seen in a 17-year-old.”
Amorim wants an “athletic” midfielder at United and it seems that Orozco is exactly what he is looking for. Also, Amorim introduced a new transfer rule at United relating to the character of players – it seems Orozco has maturity beyond his years.
How Cristian Orozco is different from Casemiro
United’s top priority in 2026 is finding a long-term heir to Casemiro.
United are over-relying on Casemiro this season. At 33 years old, he is in the twilight years of his career and is also in the final year of his contract.
Manuel Ugarte has failed to step in and fill Casemiro’s shoes, and so United need a new defensive midfielder.
READ MORE: How Man Utd wonderkid Cristian Orozco performed for Colombia in under-17s World Cup knockout clash
According to the same El Diario report as above, Orozco doesn’t have the same “tough” style of play as Casemiro, but he “compensates with positional intelligence and good distribution”.
However, other reports claim Orozco is physical enough for the Premier League, so Amorim should have no concerns about him adapting to English football.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/XCMvYge