Manchester United set to complete €62 million deal; player now preparing to land for medical: Reports
Lille centre-back Leny Yoro is reportedly set for Manchester United medical after initially favoring a move to Real Madrid. The Red Devils are pushing for the deal to go through quickly as they start to prepare for the next season.
As per The Athletic's David Ornstein, Yoro is flying to the United Kingdom for his medical with Manchester United and discussing personal terms with them. The Red Devils have agreed on a €62 million deal with the Ligue 1 side despite the 18-year-old having just a year left on his contract.
The Red Devils are yet to agree on personal terms with the defender, however, with crunch talks expected to take place when Yoro reaches the UK.
The teenager initially hoped for a move to Real Madrid, and the Spanish giant's chances cannot be ruled out yet. However, Los Blancos have not agreed to match the price Manchester United are paying for the defender.
The Frenchman isn't the only central defender to be linked with Erik ten Hag's side this summer, with Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich and Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton also named as possible targets.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Liverpool were also said to be keen on Yoro, but their interest reportedly faded away after the defender's camp clarified that he preferred Real Madrid.
Lille were said to be keen on selling the defender this summer as he had just one year left on his contract. The Red Devils have now jumped ahead of everyone as per the aforementioned report.
Leny Yoro told to snub Real Madrid move by former Manchester United striker
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha spoke to BetFred about Leny Yoro's future, claiming that the Frenchman should pick the Red Devils over Real Madrid. He believed that a move to Old Trafford would benefit him more and said:
“The reasons behind why he’d cost this much is because of the current market, his age, potential and the fact he’s been linked with a lot of other big clubs. He’s definitely a good player that has the capacity to improve and he’s only 18 years old, he’ll bulk up and he’ll enjoy the Premier League if he joins.
"He’s a really, really strong prospect and I’m sure I’m not the only person that feels this way because I heard Rio Ferdinand speaking about him positively the other day. Rio was a centre-back himself, so that’s a good indication that the player is worth his price-tag.”
When asked if the Red Devils are making the right decision by spending big on the defender, Saha continued:
“Yes because that’s the position Manchester United are in right now because they’re not in the Champions League and Real Madrid are the holders of it. It’s as simple as that. There are factors that attract players and sometimes you need to look at your trajectory and chances of progression. That will be part of Yoro’s decision, but it won’t stop him dreaming about playing for other clubs."
He added:
"Manchester United may not be in the Champions League this season, but we could be in a strong position in two or three years time, so anything can change. Life doesn’t stop today, you need to think about what can happen in future also. I definitely see a better structure at Manchester United and this is something that Yoro could be aware of and on the table for him to consider, so hopefully he can make the right decision.”