Sky Sports' renowned Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, exclusively reported on Tuesday in his official paid column that Manchester United is interested in signing two defensive midfielders wonderkids, Cristian Orozco and Mouhamed Dabo.

Romano revealed in his column that Manchester United has begun negotiations with Fortaleza regarding Orozco's transfer, and the Red Devils are expected to pay £50 million for the Colombian U18s international defensive midfielder.

Manchester United is also preparing to approach local Senegalese football academy Be Sports, where Dabo plays, to arrange for him to train with the Red Devils' youth academy players at Carrington during the holidays and participate in friendly matches.

However, since Dabo has played less than 75% of the Senegal U17s national team's matches in two years, the Premier League giants will face difficulties in signing Dabo unless Manchester United is willing to apply for a special permit from the English Football Association for his Outstanding Youth Development Scheme.

Meanwhile, Romano denied online rumours claiming that Manchester United was also interested in making a £60 million bid to sign Crystal Palace wonderkid Adam Wharton.

Romano added that Manchester United was indeed closely monitoring Crystal Palace's new England international defensive midfielder, but that they were only at that stage and had not yet reached the stage of committing to a £60 million bid.

He revealed that Brighton's Cameroon international defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba remains head coach Ruben Amorim's primary transfer target during the 2026 summer transfer window, with Wharton merely one of the potential alternatives in the Red Devils' transfer plans.

It is certain that Manchester United is not the only club interested in signing Wharton; their arch-rivals Liverpool are also considering signing the player next summer.

Manchester United's midfield and defensive midfield positions have been the most criticized in recent years. With Casemiro's advancing age, Manuel Ugarte's inexperience, and Kobbie Mainoo embroiled in transfer speculations, many fans, journalists, and pundits believe the Red Devils lack a defensive midfielder capable of supporting Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount.

The potential arrivals of Orozco, Dabo, and Wharton offer renewed hope for Manchester United's midfield and defensive midfield positions, but these wonderkids must immediately demonstrate their unique abilities at Old Trafford, which will undoubtedly increase the pressure on them.

About Cristian Orozco

Cristian Orozco, who is still 17-year-old, was born in Colombia on July 13, 2008. He is 1.78 meters tall and plays as a defensive midfielder.

As a child, Orozco played in the youth academy of non-league club Rojo and joined Fortaleza, a local club in Bogotá, in January of this year.

Even before his official debut, Orozco began playing for the Colombia U17s national team in 2024.

To date, Orozco has played nine times for the Colombia U17s national team across all competitions, without scoring or assisting. However, he helped the team secure finished runner-up in the 2025 South American U17s Championship final.

About Mouhamed Dabo

Mouhamed Dabo, who is still 17-year-old, was born on March 24, 2008, in Garoua, Cameroon. He is 1.80 meters tall and primarily plays as a center midfielder, but he can also play as a defensive midfielder.

Dabo played for the youth academy of his hometown club, Garoua, as a child. In January of this year, he joined Be Sports, a local football academy in the Cameroonian capital of Dakar.

That same month, Dabo made his Senegal U18s national team debut, starting in a friendly against Uruguay.

Since his debut, Dabo has attracted a lot of media praise for his outstanding performances, and it is even reported that several Ligue 1 clubs are closely monitoring his progress as well.