Manchester United have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro.
The French youngster is among the highest-rated talents in Europe after making his senior breakthrough at Lille aged 16 and then becoming a regular starter last season as the club finished fourth in Ligue 1 to return to the Champions League qualifying rounds.
Yoro has agreed a long-term contract at Old Trafford until 2029, with the option of a further year, and his reputation even at this early stage of his career makes him both one for present and the future.
“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” Yoro said.
“Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family.
“I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates. I cannot wait to get started.”
Tune in to 90min’s YouTube channel as Scott Saunders gets the expert lowdown on Leny Yoro from French football journalist Quentin Gesp.
United are widely reported to have negotiated a deal worth an initial £52m, rising to £59m with various add-ons. Lille were keen to sell this summer due to Yoro entering the final year of his contract. Real Madrid had been hoping to take advantage of that situation, either by waiting until the player became a free agent in 2025 or securing a deal below market value. But United submitted a much higher offer that Lille accepted and the European champions effectively bowed out.
Yoro’s price tag puts him comfortably into the top ten of United’s most expensive signings (without add-ons) ahead of Anthony Martial, as the club’s newly most expensive teenage acquisition. The initial £52m is more than Bruno Fernandes, who arrived for a starter fee of £46.5m in 2020, and Fred.
Centre-back has been a position that United were keen to target this summer after the release of Raphael Varane and last season’s injury crisis. Yoro joins a group that already includes Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. But the latter is in the final year of his contract, while Jonny Evans has also recently signed a new 12-month extension to provide additional cover.
United have been open to bringing in more than one central defender too, with Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite both also serious targets.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
