Who is Diego Leon? Arsenal and Man United chasing Paraguayan wonderkid

​

Expert insight included 

South America has rightfully gained the reputation for producing some generational talents across the decades with every major European club possessing an active scouting network in the continent. Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia are notoriously the four biggest conveyor belts of talent from South America but Paraguay is increasingly producing fantastic prospects.

Brighton’s Julio Enciso is the biggest example with the 20-year-old Paraguay’s most valuable player at Transfermarkt at €20 million. But there’s a supremely gifted left-back making a major impression in his homeland with several top English Premier League clubs monitoring his development – Diego León. The 17-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best U18 South American talents and reports in Paraguay have claimed that Arsenal are winning the race for his signature.

Who is Diego León?

León made his competitive debut in the Paraguayan top-flight for Cerro Porteño in August and he quickly established himself as a first-team regular. From his debut, León started the next nine games and played every minute in eight of those fixtures. The talented defender possesses immense physicality for his age and he’s dangerous in attacking areas as highlighted by his two goals this season. Speaking to Transfermarkt, ESPN’s associate director and Paraguayan football expert Roberto Rojas provided insight on his character and burgeoning reputation in South America.

“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,” Rojas told 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. He’s definitely viewed highly because of his talent and recent performances for one of the biggest clubs in the country and occupying that left flank as a full-back has allowed him to be someone who can go onto the attack, start playing from the back and also be versatile.”

How good is Diego León?

It’s imperative to urge caution over evaluating young players especially one with less than 15 competitive games to his name. But there’s so much excitement around León as his physical attributes and maturity are eye-catching – he doesn’t look or play like a 17-year-old. The Paraguayan is a physical specimen, lightning quick and extremely aggressive in duels but there’s naturally areas of improvements, like his positioning.

Rojas added: “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.”

Which clubs are interested in Diego León?

It’s historically very rare for players to move directly from Paraguayan clubs to the top five leagues with Ensico’s move from Libertad to Brighton an outlier. Moving to bigger South American leagues – Brazil or Argentina – is a more common pathway while top Paraguayan talent Diego Gómez recently moved to the MLS, as did Miguel Almirón. Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal are the three Premier League giants that are monitoring León with reputable Paraguayan journalist Wilson Gonzalez reporting on Thursday that Mikel Arteta’s men were closing in on a deal.

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.” León doesn’t turn 18 until April, which provides complications over any imminent deal and it’s understood Arsenal’s interest isn’t as advanced as reported in some outlets. León, however, is an immense talent and it’s inevitable that he will soon earn a major move as he’s a potential star of the future in a position that’s increasingly desirable.