Who is Manchester United's new signing Leny Yoro? Details here
Manchester United signed French defender Leny Yoro from Ligue 1 side Lille until 2029. As per BBC, Yoro joins in a deal worth £52.18m with a further £6.73m in add-ons. The 18-year-old defender has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option for an additional 12 months. He becomes the second-costliest defender for United in their transfer history. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
Manchester United are in the market for central defenders and they targeted Yoro. Notably, Real Madrid were one of the suitors but lost in their pursuit of the youngster after not deciding to pay the sum United did. With Raphael Varane gone, United have opted for a young player with an eye for the future. Matthijs de Ligt is expected to join next.
Yoro felt United had a clear plan for his development
Yoro said signing for Manchester United so early in his career is an incredible honor. He added since his first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how he could develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project. Yoro also said the club showed a lot of care for him and his family.
Yoro made 60 appearances for Lille
Yoro made 60 appearances for Lille, scoring three times. He made his first-team debut in 2021-22, playing one match. Last season saw Yoro feature largely. He played 44 matches in all competitions, including 32 in Ligue 1. He scored two league goals.
His Ligue 1 stats in 2023-24
As mentioned, Yoro made 32 Ligue 1 appearances last season, scoring twice. As per Squawka comparison matrix (data by Opta), Yoro managed eight shots on target from 12 (excluding blocks). He attempted 1,874 passes, completing 1,727. He completed 392 passes in the opposition box. Yoro made 36 tackles and completed 8 take-ons. He also won 46 aerial duels and 58 ground duels.
A look at United's costliest defenders
Harry Maguire's £80m transfer in the summer of 2019 remains the most expensive signing for United in terms of a defender. Yoro beat the sum United spent on Lisandro Martinez, who arrive from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Martinez arrived for a sum worth up to £56.7m. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is next. United shelled out £50m for the right-back who arrived from Crystal Palace.
What do United get in Yoro?
United get a stable asset in their defensive ranks. He is calm and measured. A positive quality is he wins plenty of duels and is good on the ball in terms of possession. He is astute technically and has quality in terms of pace.
