Manchester United are trying to recruit Leny Yoro after a sum was agreed with Lille, despite competition from Real Madrid and Liverpool.Manchester United have agreed a fee with Lille for Leny Yoro as plans for a rebuild under Ineos continue.
This summer, the French centre-back has drawn interest from Europe’s major teams, including Liverpool and Real Madrid.Yoro has only 12 months left on his present contract and is widely anticipated to leave this summer, with a new deal at Lille viewed as doubtful.
But United have been here before when it comes to settling on a fee for a player, and they understand that is only half of the struggle.
United’s summer transfer action in 2022 was dominated by their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.After working together at Ajax, the Dutchman was seen as crucial to Erik ten Hag’s team’s formation in his first season at Old Trafford.
De Jong was regarded as a player who could help United dominate games from a deep-lying midfield position while also introducing Ajax’s style of play to Manchester.
It was a long and arduous saga which dragged on before terms were finally agreed in mid-July 2022. An initial fee of 75million euros (£63.5m) rising to a potential 85million euros (£72m) is believed to have been agreed at the time.However, a transfer never materialized, wasting months of hard work. In the end, United made a desperation play for Real Madrid’s Casemiro for £60 million, which might rise to £70 million, despite the ageing Brazilian’s precipitous collapse last season following a promising debut year at Old Trafford.
United’s transfer strategy under new sporting director Dan Ashworth is said to have changed and the early signs are certainly promising.
The club are going for young, hungry and driven players with reasonable fees being reported for potential deals.But there are warning signs over a deal for Yoro with it being widely reported that the 18-year-old prefers a move to Madrid this summer.
United cannot afford to be in a situation where they are forced to wait all summer for Yoro whilst he looks to see if the European champions will make an approach.The club will have done their due diligence before agreeing a fee and If the centre-back is willing to join then it’s a no-brainer.
However, there should be plenty of caution on United’s side and they must only sign players who are fully committed to joining.Manchester United’s pursuit of Leny Yoro is part of a broader strategy to rebuild under the new sporting director Dan Ashworth and the influence of INEOS. The club has agreed on a fee with Lille for the 18-year-old French center-back, but they face significant competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid. Yoro, who has only 12 months left on his contract with Lille, is widely expected to leave this summer, and a move to Madrid appears to be his preferred option.
This situation brings to mind United’s prolonged and ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Frenkie de Jong in 2022, which consumed much of their transfer window. The deal for De Jong fell through despite terms being agreed, forcing United to make a late move for Real Madrid’s Casemiro. While Casemiro had a strong debut season, his performance declined significantly last year.
United’s current transfer strategy under Ashworth focuses on acquiring young, driven players at reasonable fees, and the deal for Yoro aligns with this approach. However, there are concerns about whether Yoro is genuinely committed to joining United, given his apparent preference for Madrid. United must ensure that they only sign players who are fully committed to the club to avoid repeating past transfer missteps.
