Liverpool and Manchester United are actively pursuing a deal to sign Lille centre-back Leny Yoro, albeit with an acceptance that Real Madrid may ultimately win the contest.
Yoro has emerged as one of the most coveted players in Europe after a fine season for the Ligue 1 club and is set to leave this summer or as a free agent in 12 months’ time.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are also among those strongly interested in the 18-year-old, who is not expected to extend a Lille contract that finishes in June 2025.
Lille president Olivier Letang confirmed on Wednesday that Yoro — as well as Canada striker Jonathan David, whose terms expire on the same date — will be allowed to exit.
Yoro was at Wembley Stadium to watch Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final and the belief held by most of his suitors is that the France youth international will move to the Bernabeu, even if a deal does not materialise immediately.
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Real Madrid strong suitors for Lille’s Leny Yoro
But that has not discouraged sides including Liverpool and United from pushing hard to entice Yoro, especially given the rarity of such a fine talent being available for transfer. They, alongside PSG, are known to have made the more concrete advances so far and would all be prepared to offer competitive or favourable conditions — yet there remains an anticipation that Madrid will step forward, perhaps later in the process, and prevail.
The British teams view Yoro as a unique market opportunity rather than a fundamental part of their recruitment plans requiring an alternative solution if he cannot be landed, although in the case of United they do intend to strengthen in that position regardless.
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Leny Yoro is one of Europe’s best talents. It’s no wonder Real Madrid are on the case
What is the latest on Madrid’s interest?
Analysis from Real Madrid correspondent Mario Cortegana
Madrid, through their chief scout Juni Calafat and his staff, have been following Yoro for a long time. Their scouting reports were completed with the label ‘fichar’ (to sign) because he is considered a “generational talent”. The label means the scouting department advises that the player should be signed regardless of his price or any concerns over how they would immediately fit into the squad — although the final decision comes from higher up in the club.
Since then, with Madrid’s general manager Jose Angel Sanchez leading talks, there have been several meetings with the Frenchman’s entourage, who gave very positive indications about his intentions to play for the Spanish club.
But further progress is subject to Madrid meeting Lille’s financial demands. The French club started asking for more than €100million. Madrid, following the same logic that defines their interest in Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, see the player’s value as being much lower because Yoro’s contract ends in 2025. They have made this clear to Lille and to Yoro’s entourage.
If Madrid and Yoro were to reach an agreement, it would follow a similar pattern to the signings of Aurelien Tchouameni in 2022 and Jude Bellingham in 2023. Both those players ruled out bigger offers from elsewhere and urged their club to negotiate with Madrid.
Why do big clubs want Yoro?
Analysis from tactics writer Anantaajith Raghuraman
Last season, Yoro played a key role in Lille having the joint third-best defensive record in Ligue 1 (34 goals conceded).
A more old-fashioned defender, he was often the deepest player in Lille’s backline. Yoro recorded relatively low defensive engagements (only 1.21 interceptions and tackles apiece per 90) but often put out fires like this one from Lille’s 1-0 defeat by Monaco in April.
Yoro was mostly safe with his forays forward, completing 92.3 per cent of his passes and attempting 55.19 carries per 90 without progressing the ball much. Conversely, he does not make mistakes (dispossessed only 0.03 times and committed only 0.03 errors per 90), perhaps indicating a maturity beyond his years.
Yoro is likely to excel with a more expansive centre-back alongside him. As he is risk-averse with his ball progression and often stays deep, a risk-taking partner who is more willing to progress the ball forward via passes or carries and to press up the pitch to engage with opponents will likely complement Yoro well.
The interest in him also arises from the fact that he can either immediately step into the XI — having made 43 starts for Lille last season — or be moulded by the experienced heads around him before doing so.
(Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
