Icon Sport

Times chief reporter drops Leny Yoro transfer claim after Liverpool told to watch for summer ‘bomb’

Originally posted on Empire of the Kop
By Farrell Keeling | Last updated Jun 14, 2024 12:54 PM ET

Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly ‘waiting in the wings’ in case a deal stalls between Real Madrid and Lille for Leny Yoro.

This comes from Martyn Ziegler at The Times. The Frenchman is also being courted by Ligue 1 champions PSG this summer.

A fee of around £50m will be enough to prise the centre-back away from the French top-flight.

“Liverpool and Manchester United are waiting in the wings should Real Madrid’s interest in defensive prodigy Leny Yoro collapse,” the chief sports reporter wrote.

“The 18-year-old Lille centre back is regarded as a generational talent and will be allowed to leave this summer for a fee of around £50million.

“Real want Yoro, who attended their Champions League final success over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley two weeks ago, but Liverpool and United are also waiting in the hope a deal stalls and they can pounce.”

Yoro’s current contract is set to expire in 2025. Lille’s president, Olivier Letang, has already sanctioned the ‘generational’ defender’s exit (along with Jonathan David’s) this summer.

The Merseysiders are also understood to be keeping tabs on the likes of Willian Pacho and Waldemar Anton.

Fabrizio Romano tells Liverpool fans to watch out for Yoro

Frustratingly, or excitingly, depending on your point of view – this one looks a waiting game for Liverpool fans.

Fabrizio Romano echoed Ziegler’s update earlier today, telling supporters to sit tight and watch out for one of the potential ‘bombs of the market’ in the coming weeks.

We can only hope it will be the Reds making the rest of Europe sit up and take notice of our transfer dealings.

What do Liverpool need from a centre-back this summer?

Ideally, availability will be a core concern for our recruitment department as we leaf through the available targets on the market.

We were fortunate to be blessed with genuine world-class quality during Joel Matip’s stay at L4. However, his and Ibrahima Koante’s ongoing injury concerns have often left us a little short on the right-hand side.

There’s every possibility that a new regime could improve the latter’s availability, but ideally, we need a signing who can match Virgil van Dijk’s durability.

EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: ‘a local lad who lived his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions