Manchester United officially announces the arrival of their third midfield signing! The deal was finalized only after he made his debut, and the unusual arrangement behind it has been revealed.

Manchester United has finally confirmed the arrival of their third midfield recruit this summer, releasing an official statement. Regrettably, it is not the senior squad signing fans were expecting, but a youth academy player, and the transfer was actually arranged last year. The club secured the signing of Colombian talent Cristian Orozco from Fortaleza CEIF at the end of last year, with the formalities finalized this summer, but the announcement was only made this week. This makes him the sixth new signing announced by United this summer, half of whom are academy players.

The club stated in the announcement: "Manchester United is delighted to confirm the signing of highly promising young midfielder Cristian Orozco. The 18-year-old joins from Colombian top-flight side Fortaleza CEIF."

"Orozco came through the club's youth academy and made five first-team appearances last season, also representing Colombia at U17 level. He will initially join the academy system to help him adapt to life at Manchester United. Everyone at the club welcomes Cristian and wishes him all the best."

The 18-year-old Orozco comes from Colombia's Fortaleza CEIF. United reached an agreement with the club last year for a transfer fee of $1 million (£750,000). However, under FIFA regulations, players must be 18 to complete international transfers, so the move was finalized in mid-July after Orozco celebrated his 18th birthday.

Orozco has already begun his Manchester United career in earnest. Last week, he made his first public appearance for the club in a friendly against Altrincham, coming off the bench wearing the number 17 shirt for over 60 minutes and receiving a warm welcome from the fans present.

The reason for announcing the signing after he had already played is partly due to registration procedures, but also likely because the club has failed to secure any new first-team players recently. As a result, management decided to 'reheat old news' by announcing Orozco's arrival to give fans something to talk about.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Orozco's initial integration has been encouraging. It is reported that his current physical condition seems superior to that of similar players United has signed in the past, such as Malian midfielder Sekou Kone and Paraguayan left-back Diego León.

Kone, now 20, has been loaned out again this season to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's satellite club, Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland. The 18-year-old León has yet to make a first-team appearance and was not called up by Michael Carrick for the senior squad this summer.

British media reveal that Kone, due to being too slender, had to undergo special fitness training to build muscle after joining United. However, Orozco already possesses the physique to adapt to English football, which is more similar to León's build.

Curiously, despite having been confirmed for over six months, Orozco still does not speak English. As a result, coaches have to rely on a few Spanish-speaking players to relay instructions, with León being particularly enthusiastic in helping to pass on information.

Club insiders emphasize that Orozco will be introduced gradually, as he still needs time to adapt to the club's requirements and the level of English football. The youngster, once dubbed the 'Colombian Caicedo,' will not be involved in Carrick's first-team preseason friendlies this summer.

Carrick has given some young players opportunities during the preseason. Since taking over as interim manager in January, the United legend has been actively supporting the youth academy, frequently attending youth team matches and continuously evaluating prospects during the current preseason. Carrick's own son, Jack, is also in the United academy and recently signed a pre-contract.

Orozco will aim to become the next young player to get a chance. But first, he needs to perform well for the U21 team, who begin their new season away to Middlesbrough at 7 PM on August 18th.

The players United are signing nowadays are more often for the academy rather than the first team. Ratcliffe wants to cultivate talent from the grassroots level, having signed 18-year-old Tyler Thompson this summer and now announcing the same-age Orozco. United scouts believe Orozco is immensely talented and, with proper development, could become one of the world's best midfielders in the next five years. That is United's goal: focusing on investing in the future.