Manchester United have reached a tentative agreement with Lille to sign the highly-rated young defender Leny Yoro, but the deal is not yet sealed.
Yoro, 18, has become one of the most sought-after teenagers in Europe following an impressive season in France’s top league. Real Madrid have long been seen as the front-runners in the race for his signature, but United have tried to get ahead by agreeing a fee for the French under-21 international.
Lille are under pressure to sell Yoro with the youngster, who was present at Madrid’s Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last month, now into the final 12 months of his contract.
The current European and Spanish champions have not yet matched Lille’s asking price with any of their bids. If they do, Yoro will have three options to consider. Firstly, the 18-year-old could choose to stay at Lille and play another season in Ligue 1.
After that, Yoro could either leave on a free transfer in 2025 to a club of his choice or sign a new contract. Alternatively, he might want to join United, who despite agreeing personal terms with Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt are still in the market for another centre-back.
A fake social media account claiming to be Yoro ‘rejected’ a move to Old Trafford on Tuesday, stating: “I don’t want you @ManUtd. Leave me alone.” But the player himself quickly corrected the misinformation through his official account, responding: “Fake account. You guys are psycho. Signal this account.”
In another scenario, Yoro might end moving to Madrid this summer, in a deal that would surprise no one. Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who have already secured the signature of Kylian Mbappe this summer, are looking to bolster their defence after captain Nacho Fernandez’s exit.
The interest from giants like United and Madrid in Yoro is understandable given he’s been compared with the likes of Arsenal star William Saliba and former United man Rafael Varane. Paulo Fonseca, the recently departed manager of Lille, lavished praise on the young talent last term, remarking: “It’s not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has.
“For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced, and there is no doubt that he will be a very great player.”
