Manchester United close to signing talented Lille defender Leny Yoro

Leny Yoro enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Lille last season.

English giants Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign the talented centre-back Leny Yoro from French club LOSC Lille, beating a host of top teams for his signature in the process.

The Red Devils have had their latest transfer proposal accepted by Lille, wherein the French side would receive a total package of €62m, with €50m as a fixed fee and another €12m in add-ons based on various contractual clauses.

Yoro has already landed in Manchester with his medical scheduled, following the completion of which, he is expected to sign a five-year contract until 2029. The deal will have an option to extend for a further year.

The 18-year-old defender enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the 2023–24 season, as he made 44 appearances for Lille across all competitions. He managed to score three goals in the process. With his stellar performances, Yoro guided the Mastiffs to an impressive fourth-placed finish in Ligue 1 and booked a place in the UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds for the upcoming season.

With Leny Yoro touted as a generational centre-back in his home country, Manchester United decided to act fast on the deal to avoid any potential hijack from clubs such as Real Madrid and Liverpool, who were also keen on acquiring his services this summer.

With only a year left on his contract at Lille, Champions League winners Real Madrid were only willing to sign Yoro on their terms. They proposed a fee of around €20–25m this transfer window or expected the player to move on a free transfer next summer. However, the French defender informed Los Blancos of his desire to complete a move to Manchester United this summer, therefore putting them out of the race.

On the other hand, Liverpool expected Real Madrid to go all in and sign Yoro, so they willingly backed out from the deal early on. They have previously also lost potential transfers to them in the form of Aurélien Tchouaméni from AS Monaco and Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. The Liverpool hierarchy also felt that the price tag Lille were demanding for a player who has just a year left on his contract was unreasonable.

Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s operations, with the revamped sporting structure, Manchester United have already made big moves this summer.

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