Yoro is heading to Manchester United, although he doesn’t really want to join the club

Leny Yoro played his first full senior season in Lille, France. The player immediately attracted interest from several big clubs around the world, including Ligue 1 rivals PSG. The 18-year-old defender himself was thought to be set for Real Madrid, but is likely to end up at England’s Manchester United, where Erik ten Hag wants to see him.

• Leny Yoro has had his first full season at Lille
• He is currently preparing to move elsewhere
• He will probably end up at Manchester United

Yoro is similar to Varane

Yoro’s market value currently stands at €50 million, and he’s only 18 years old. If we were to compare him to anyone in this regard, it would be Raphael Varane. The French midfielder, who just left Manchester United as a free agent at the end of June, has shot up quickly in the French league in his early career and his talents have also been spotted by the world’s big clubs.

Over the past year, the Frenchman’s value has soared by a staggering €45 million. No other defender has seen a similar increase, the closest being Murillo operating at Nottingham with a €35 million rise in price. Among players born in 2005, Yoro is in 1st place along with Manchester United’s Kobbio Mainoo.

“Yoro’s greatest strengths are not only his great performances but also other qualities such as maturity and concentration. This is something unprecedented in such a young player,” commented Lille coach Ronan Caroff on his charge. For Caroff, the French full-back has become a central figure in the defence, starting in 32 league games out of 34.

United win duel with Real

There was already speculation last summer that Yoro would move to Real Madrid once his contract at Lille expired. However, the French outfit decided they didn’t want to lose their gem without financial compensation, so they went on the market with him. His contract expires in 2025 and an extension was unlikely, hence the club’s decision.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the player should have always prioritized Real Madrid over any other club. However, Lille received an offer from United worth €50 million, which they accepted, but the player did not communicate with the club for a long time as he was not interested in the transfer. The French club should have pressured their ward to choose United, moreover, no official offer came from Real to France.

During Wednesday morning, the player changed his mind and chose Manchester United. In England, he should soon undergo a medical and then just confirm his contract until 2029. The price should be 50 million euros + 12 million euros in various bonuses. Lille will earn a decent sum and the player will wear the jersey of a big club.

United might regret

For the English big club in recent years, the rule was that players came to Old Trafford to earn money rather than play for Manchester United. Examples might be Angel di Maria, Paul Pogba or Alexis Sánchez.

It could backfire on the club this time too. Although Yoro eventually chose United, he wanted to play for Real Madrid all along. It could happen that the player doesn’t perform as expected as he doesn’t mentally connect with the club, which the Red Devils are.

Source: Transfermarkt, X