Manchester United have landed one of the stars of the summer transfer window in Leny Yoro.
The 18-year-old centre back flew to England for his medical on Wednesday morning as United tie up a £52million deal, with £42m guaranteed with £10m in add-ons, completing the move on Thursday evening.
Yoro is viewed as one of the finest players in his position in his generation and United have made a statement with the addition.
Mail Sport runs the rule over the youngster that has had tongues wagging across Europe…
Man United completed a deal for Leny Yoro (pictured) on Thursday evening
WHO IS HE?
Yoro, like many top French athletes, was born in a Parisian suburb in 2005 before his family, who are originally from Ivory Coast, headed north for Lille when he was just six.
Picked up by Lille’s academy aged 12, Yoro soon flew through the ranks at the Ligue 1 side.
An NBA fan, the youngster grew up idolising athletes he would soon find himself as well-known as, such was his ascent.
International recognition at youth level came quickly and he was capped for France at both U17 and U18 level.
Yoro is viewed as a quiet, humble character that has been a joy to coach since arriving at Lille
A senior Lille debut arrived on the final day of the 2021-22 campaign when they took on Nice.
In appearing at the age of 16 years, six months and a day, he surpassed club great Eden Hazard to become the second-youngest player to ever turn out for Lille.
A season on, under the tutelage of Paulo Fonseca, he won 15 appearances in all competitions, including 10 starts.
By the time he hit 18, he had already played 60 first-team games for Lille, including nine in the Europa Conference League.
Last season, when it became apparent Lille would not be able to hold onto him for much longer, he produced more minutes than any other outfield player at the club.
It made his selection for the Ligue 1 team of the year absolutely no surprise.
Yoro (right) ascended up the ranks at Lille quickly and showed no fear facing Lionel Messi (left)
WAS HE IN DEMAND?
Hugely.
We can chalk this one up as a scramble with Manchester United beating competition from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool to land Yoro.
An anticipated bidding war was music to the ears of Lille, even if the player was angling for a switch to European champions Real Madrid.
The issue Yoro had was that Real Madrid reportedly baulked at Lille’s valuation of the player and were only willing to offer £25m (€30m) to land him, far below Man United’s offer.
Real Madrid was Yoro’s preferred landing spot but they failed to match Man United’s proposal
Liverpool had been credited with interest as Arne Slot prepares for his first season in charge
For a while it appeared that Yoro was eager to hold out for Real Madrid but a report in Spain claimed that Lille threatened to not play Yoro in the final year of his contract if he did not accept United‘s offer.
According to Marca, the youngster was faced with a difficult decision as his intention to move to Madrid persisted despite advances from other top European.
They also claimed that Yoro’s mind was made up by a threat from his club that he would be sidelined for the remaining year of his contract, after they had agreed a lucrative deal for their academy graduate.
Yoro was also a key target for Liverpool but United acted quickly to get their man.
Regardless of the internal politics at Lille, Yoro represents a huge coup for United having moved quicker than the rest of his suitors.
WHAT IS HIS PLAYING STYLE LIKE?
At 6ft3′, Yoro has a good size to him in battling against Europe’s top strikers.
The right-footed centre back has looked comfortable at Lille when asked to be the last defender, and has shown good recovery pace in behind.
One of his best assets has been stopping opponents turning him and breaking free, but he is not erratic in winning the ball back.
Observers in France have spoken glowingly about his reading of the game and his ability to pinch the ball from opponents. Failing that, he has had success in forcing mistakes out of opponents.
Where he differs from someone like Lisandro Martinez, a likely centre back partner at United, is that he’s not an aggressive dueller and can instead drop and seize his moment that way.
Still only 18, Yoro’s technique is not in question but he will only continue to get stronger and with the added physicality in English football, having a more front-footed centre back partner should dovetail nicely as his own game matures.
Yoro has looked comfortable when acting as the last defender, or covering defender, for Lille
His quality at such a young age means he has been given assignments like Kylian Mbappe
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID?
Yoro has got a solid base around him that can keep him grounded amid an avalanche of praise that continues to come his way.
‘It’s not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has,’ Paulo Fonseca, his former Lille boss, said.
‘For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced and there is no doubt that he will become a very great player.’
Lille have known since he broke into the first team that he would not last long in France, such is his immense quality.
Jean-Michel Vandamme, director of Lille’s training facility, has spoken glowingly of his development in recent years.
‘He had an accelerated learning process because he only spent two years in the training centre,’ Vandamme told reporters.
‘Leny has the ability to learn quickly. He wants to do it and has a real interest in analysing different situations, understanding them, while putting controlled pressure on himself.’
His team-mates, too, have been blown away by the maturity of the young defender’s game.
‘In Marseille, I knew Boubacar Kamara, in Saint-Etienne, William Saliba and Wesley Fofana, and now there is Leny Yoro ,’ Rémy Cabella said last year.
His former Lille boss Paulo Fonseca (left) feels Yoro is one of the best defenders in Europe
One of the most common compliments handed to Yoro is that he is mature beyond his years
‘He has all the qualities and the potential to do something huge. He is very humble and that is another of his strengths.’
Former Man United academy starlet Angel Gomes, who is now at Lille, told Eurosport when asked about Yoro’s ability: ‘As soon as he arrived in the group, I understood that he was going to reach the top.
‘When I discovered the pros at the age of 16 at Manchester United, I understood that it was different. He already had the right temperament and that’s not normal for a 16 or 17-year-old player who arrives. It’s as if he was already an experienced player. And it showed in his way of training, his way of behaving. His progression was obvious.’
Thierry Henry, who is currently coaching Yoro ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, can often look to avoid singling players out for praise, but not in this case.
‘He is making an exemplary start to his career,’ Henry said last season.
‘To impose himself at Lille as he is doing… He always has some moments of [being] a youngster, and that is quite normal. It comes slowly, you make mistakes and sometimes you take hits.
‘He is playing match after match and he is quite often a starter and quite often good. It is really good for him.’
