Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Lille starlet Leny Yoro, who has excelled this season at centre-back in Ligue 1. The 18-year-old defender is considered one of Europe's brightest prospects, but Los Blancos could keep him except for a defender. move for him for at least another season.
Reports on Monday emerged from the Spanish capital saying that Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti were convinced of Yoro's talents, and were willing to pursue the defender. As important, Yoro is on a move at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That coincides with the information from Relief, who agree that the Lille defender wants a move to Madrid despite interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. However, they claim Real Madrid could hold off on a move until they have clarity on the rest of their options.
They want to see how David Alaba recovers from his anterior cruciate ligament injury, since his was the most damaging, and even if Nacho Fernandez wants to continue at the club, a decision he has yet to make. Los Blancos have offered the veteran defender a new deal as they value his experience, leadership and ability to cover all four positions.
But they will wait to see how Nacho progresses before moving for Yoro, as they don't want to overpopulate their defense with five central defenders. If Nacho renews, they will probably stay in a move until 2025 or 2026 – regardless of what the summer is, they will only move for him under the right financial conditions. He currently has one year left on his deal.
There are also the options of Marvel in the academy and Rafa Marin returning from loan this summer, both of which are options that Real Madrid like, but they will only be part of the team as the fourth choice of the defender of the fifth choice. However, they say Yoro's future is unlikely to be defined until “well into the transfer market”.
It certainly marks a departure from the previous policy in Real Madrid, where young talents were convinced to be signed, and veterans were made to make their game or look for an exit. Of course, it would seem strange for Blancos to risk forgetting Yoro, if he is as good as he looks, in order to prioritize another year (or few years) of Nacho as a bench player.
