Diego León: Arsenal target is part of Paraguay’s emerging golden generation
Talents Calendar
©TM/Diego León
Julio Enciso (20) and Enso González (19) jumped from Paraguay’s Primera División to the Premier League—the next player to take that path could be Diego León. Only 17, the left-back from Club Cerro Porteño has been one of the big up-and-coming stars of this year’s Clausura. Reports didn’t take long to emerge that Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign the talent, who was born in Yguazú, east of the capital, Asunción. Expectations in Paraguay are that León and players like Enciso—the 20-year-old is the most valuable Paraguayan—could represent the national team’s future.
All that even though León only made his debut in August 2024. But since then, the defender’s development has been spectacular and could eclipse Enciso’s. The forward joined Brighton for €11.6m in the summer of 2022 and became by some distance the most expensive player in the Primera División’s league history. It is unlikely that León will break that transfer record, but there is a chance that he could be among the most valuable players in the Primera División by the end of the year.
For his age, the talented defender has incredible physical elements and likes getting involved in the attack. León has already scored twice in the Clausura and was the youngest scorer during the second half of the season. “He’s a player with a lot of promise, who happened to make this big jump into the first team at Cerro Porteño so quickly,” ESPN’s associate editor and Paraguayan football expert Roberto Rojas said to Transfermarkt. As someone coming from a remote place (Yguazú, in Alto Paraná, which is roughly 300 km from the capital Asuncion) and growing up in difficult circumstances, León has proven to be someone who can surpass that adversity to get to where he’s been.”
One must always be careful when judging the talent of players who have played just a few games. Towards the end of last season, when Cerro Porteño struggled, León’s form also dipped. Despite that, the hype surrounding the player has been immense in Paraguay. León’s physical attributes and his maturity stand out. Physically, he is further in his development than most other 17-year-olds, and, in general, he doesn’t look like a player without much experience in professional football. León’s speed, dynamic, and aggressiveness in one-v-one situations stand out. He still has to work on his positional play and tactical discipline.
What is next for Diego Leóns? Arsenal are interested
Added expert Rojas: “Paraguay have recently developed some really good left-backs, so this would be another one to be part of the mix if he were to ever get called up to the national team. The links to European football have shown that León is a different case, especially at such a young age. It remains to be seen what his ceiling will be, but from the start, it shows he has something that can be very important in the future. Like any 17-year-old with little experience playing professionally, León is still raw and has a lot he can improve on before making a big jump outside the country.” There has been talk about a potential move to Arsenal this January with a loan back to Paraguay until the talent turns 18. Whether a deal will go through will be determined in the coming weeks.
In general, Paraguayan talents don’t take the direct route to a big European league; Enciso and González are, in this regard, the exception rather than the norm. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and increasingly Major League Soccer are the usual first destinations before a move to Europe. One example in MLS is Diego Gómez at Inter Miami CF. The midfielder is seen as one of the players who, together with Enciso, can carry his country’s midfield for years to come. If he continues his development, León could become another pillar. His breakthrough follows what has become a trend in his country. Clubs now look for young talent rather than older stars with big names. Rubén Lezcano, Matías Segovia, Gabriel Aguayo, Rodrigo Villalba, Lucas Quintana and Alan Núñez are other names to watch. Some of them stood out for Paraguay at the Olympic Games last summer.
Rojas added: “His agent and Cerro have said in the past that they intend to keep him for as long as they can. However, it’s always hard when top European clubs come knocking to get players directly from Paraguay. It’s hard to resist them, so therefore it would have to take a good chunk of change in the millions of dollars to get him to leave. Interest from other countries in the region will always come about, but I think if the right fee comes for León from Europe, then he will make that jump.”
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
About author
Add comment