Ahead of the 2024-2025 season, center back is one of the positions of special interest to Manchester United's leadership . After a series of rumors about pursuing Jarrad Branthwaite or Matthijs de Ligt, the Old Trafford team surprised everyone by recruiting Leny Yoro from Lille with a contract worth 58.9 million pounds.
The decision to recruit the 18-year-old French midfielder brought a lot of skepticism as MU has failed with many young talents in recent years. However, Leny Yoro dispelled doubts about his ability with an impressive performance in the friendly match between Rangers and Man United .
The French star achieved a 100% win rate in duels, 92% passing accuracy, 2 successful ball steals and 1 clearance situation. The most prominent was the precise tackle in the 10th minute that kept goalkeeper Andre Onana's goal from being threatened.
"It's surprising that an 18-year-old player like Leny Yoro plays so maturely and possesses great technical qualities. For me, Yoro will soon become one of the best central defenders in France and the world. Europe" - Paulo Fonseca shared.
Paulo Fonseca's descriptions show great potential in Leny Yoro. Although he is only 18 years old, the Man United rookie has made 46 appearances in Ligue-1 for Lille. According to statistics, the star born in 2005 had an average of 63.2 passes/90 minutes - ranking 15th among defenders in the French championship last season among midfielders who made at least 1,000 passes , Leny Yoro achieved a success rate of 91.9%. This parameter is only behind Paris Saint-Germain's three central defenders, Marquinhos, Danilo and Milan Skriniar.
Opta Analyst describes Yoro as 1.9 m tall but still possesses incredible speed and dexterity. Besides, the French midfielder often prioritizes safety and rarely participates in attacking situations. Throughout the 2023-2024 season, Leny Yoro only had 42 development passes - the lowest number among centre-backs who made at least 200 passes. The 18-year-old star also holds the ball an average of 8.9 m and passes the ball 3.8 m - lower than the average of central defenders in Ligue-1.
In particular, his skillful and intelligent playing style helps Leny Yoro rarely make mistakes with his opponents. According to statistics, the star born in 2005 had an average of 0.7 errors/90 minutes - one of the central defenders with the fewest fouls in Ligue-1 last season. Leny Yoro's calm and safe playing style will be the perfect complement if paired with Lisandro Martinez - a midfielder with a fiery style of play.
Witnessing the impressive performance of the star born in 2005, Lille Academy Director Jean-Michel Vandamme once expressed his surprise and compared Leny Yoro to Raphael Varane.
“Yoro is a gift from God. The first time I watched him play, I saw many similarities with Raphael Varane in terms of physique, playing style and composure at the age of 18" - Jean-Michel Vandamme shared with Le Parisien.
Entering a tough tournament like the Premier League at the age of 18 certainly makes Leny Yoro face a lot of pressure. However, if he continues to develop and maintain his current technical qualities, Yoro can become a defensive leader in the near future at Manchester United.
