Manchester United have had their share of troubles when it comes to their centre-back situation this season, with injuries to key players forcing 36-year-old Jonny Evans to play quite a few games. They have now been linked to a new centre-back in Leny Yoro as the club gears up for the first summer transfer window under the INEOS influence.
Manchester United Face Competition For Leny Yoro Signing
What is United’s Current Stance On Yoro?
Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Lille defender is attracting a lot of interest from around Europe and that many clubs will be vying for his signing in the summer window. He name-checks Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among the interested clubs and states that the Red Devils had had their scouts follow his progress.
However, the journalist also adds that there is no definite movement in United’s interest in signing Yoro because the new sporting structure under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s influence is yet to draw up the plans for the summer signings.
Romano also notes that Lille will not sell their teenage defender for cheap at all, with his exact price tag not yet decided and the French club will likely do so around May.
Who Is Leny Yoro?
The 18-year-old has come through the system at Lille and has made quite the impact for the club, consolidating the role of a regular starter for himself. The teenage centre-back has made 33 appearances so far for the French club, helping them keep a whopping 18 clean sheets in that period and maintain a strong defensive record in Ligue 1.
Yoro has been praised as someone who possesses “excellent” game-reading and recovery pace and has a similar playing style to Raphael Varane. His contract with Lille expires in 2025, which can give him the incentive to try and push for a move to a major European club in the summer.
The Red Devils could bring him in as a long-term replacement for their French centre-back and slowly ease him into the first-team level, but it remains to be seen if they push to sign him amid heavy competition.
More must-reads: