Manchester United are interested in signing LOSC Lille defender Leny Yoro this summer and have lodged a £53 million bid for his signature. Lille even accepted the offer.
However, the youngster wants a move to Real Madrid even though the La Liga giants have refused to match Lille’s demands.
According to L’Equipe, Yoro remains unsure about his future and doesn’t know which club jersey he will wear next season.
He can stay with Lille for another season and leave on a free transfer in 2025, wait for Real Madrid to match United’s bid, or join Man Utd immediately, but he hasn’t decided.
United will be waiting desperately for his decision. The 18-year-old announced himself as one of the best young centre-halves in Europe last term in Ligue 1.
Yoro is the only Under-23 centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues who won 60% of his aerial and 60% of his ground duels and maintained 90% pass accuracy in 2023/24.
He helped Lille keep 13 clean sheets in 32 league appearances. The young defender will bolster United’s backline for years if he joins.
United face a fight to convince him to abandon his Real Madrid dream and opt for a move to the Premier League.
Yoro looks set to be one of his generation’s most outstanding defensive talents, and United will do well to grab him ahead of Madrid.
The Frenchman could form an exciting partnership alongside Matthijs De Ligt, who is pushing to join United. Man Utd are planning to reunite the Bayern Munich defender and manager Erik ten Hag.
The Reds could also face a stumbling block in the race for De Ligt, with Bayern supporters petitioning the club not to sell the defender. Bayern can decide to concede to the fans and keep him.
De Ligt and Yoro can be the perfect reinforcement for the defence alongside Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Jonny Evans, who recently signed a new deal.
Meanwhile, Man United have started playing pre-season friendlies and lost to Norwegian side Rosenborg BK today via a dying-minute winner.
