On July 17, Leny Yoro flew to Manchester for a medical examination at Man United headquarters, before signing a 5-year contract with the Old Trafford team . The 18-year-old midfielder will cost the "Red Devils" about 70 million Euros. Last week, the price agreed by both sides was 62 million Euros.
However, there are still some problems from Lille's side when Real Madrid also made an offer to the young French talent. Yoro initially only wanted to go to the Bernabeu, but Real only accepted to spend a maximum of 25 million Euros, so the deal collapsed in front of nearly three times the amount of money coming from Man United.
Lille must sell Yoro quickly because otherwise, they could lose this young star because the contract between the two parties is only valid until June 2025. Although Manchester United is only option 2 in Yoro's plan, when he learned that he was wearing the traditional red shirt of The Red Devils, he also showed excitement and enthusiasm.
In the context of the transfer market being greatly affected by EURO 2024 and Copa America 2024, Man United remains steadfast with the criteria set by owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of which is to only buy stars under 25 years old. old enough to travel long distances. Also in defense, the Manchester team is also sending invitations to Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich) and Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton). However, the fact that MU has acquired Leny Yoro will narrow the door to Old Trafford for De Ligt and Branthwaite. The "Red Devils" will have to sell more people if they still want to continue adding new recruits.
At this time, Man United's central defender position is occupied by the couple Harry Maguire - Lisandro Martinez. After Raphael Varane broke up, MU only had Victor Lindelof who was considered the one who could play the whole season. In the context of Martinez often being injured and Maguire still having bad luck, Erik ten Hag was forced to add a central defender. The return of Tyrell Malacia and the recovery of Luke Shaw made the Dutch strategist temporarily end his headache on the left wing.
Professionally, it is no coincidence that Leny Yoro was noticed by Real Madrid, then PSG and Liverpool. In Lille's squad last season, the 18-year-old star always tended to play lowest in the defensive system. Despite playing in such a low position, Yoro's speed is very respectable, in addition to his ability to fight well in duels. He is considered to have a good tactical vision and can control the defense in situations when the opponent attacks.
The tendency to pass the ball cautiously and carefully is also appreciated in Yoro. Only when he knows there is safe space or the ball can continue to develop upward will Yoro launch a pass from home. These are the qualities that have made Virgil van Dijk's brand during his brilliant years with Liverpool.
Yoro has not yet debuted in the Premier League and needs time to test. However, through this contract and the previous one with Joshua Zirkzee, Man United has shown a transformation in its transfer style. They no longer rush into old names even though they are very famous. Instead, a young player who can start from scratch is the priority for the long haul. That is one of the factors to make football sustainable.
