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Manchester United have entered “negotiations” with Leny Yoro over a potential move with the defensive protégé described as having an “open door” to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have agreed a €62 million deal (€50 million fee + €12 million in add-ons) with Lille for the 18-year-old’s services but the looming threat of Real Madrid has been a constant hindrance to the transfer.
Yoro is believed to be prioritising a move to the Spanish capital and this has perturbed other potential suitors, such as Liverpool, who believed the defender’s mind was already made.
However, United, who consider Yoro a generational talent in his position, have refused to rule themselves out of the running, believing Madrid’s hesitancy to match Lille’s demands for the defender will allow them to sneak to the front of the queue.
The Liga and Champions League champions are unwilling to spend that amount on a youngster who will become a free agent next summer when his contract with Lille expires, despite their appreciation of him and their need for a central defender.
As such, in a similar vein to their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, Madrid may simply be willing to wait and allow their unmatched allure as a club to do their transfer dealing for them.
From Lille’s perspective, the French club are desperate for Yoro to accept United’s advances as they will stand to make far more income than a deal with Madrid would generate this summer. And, therefore, this transfer saga has been defined so far by a conflict between the club’s wishes and the wishes of their academy graduate.
However, Nabil Djellit, a French journalist who first broke the story that Lille had agreed a deal with United, has now revealed Yoro’s representatives are “in negotiations with Manchester United on salary conditions” and that the defensive starlet has an “open door” to the Red Devils.
Info (suite). Lille a bien accepté offre de 50 + 12 (62M€). Leny #Yoro est en négociation avec Manchester United sur des conditions salariales. Tendance favorable et porte ouverte à ManUtd. Le Real toujours là mais en retrait. #Mercato
— Nabil Djellit (@Nabil_djellit) July 16, 2024
Translation: “Info (continued). Lille accepted offer of 50 + 12 (62M € ). Leny Yoro is in negotiations with Manchester United on salary conditions. Favourable trend and open door to Man Utd. Real still there but behind. #Mercato”
This constitutes a significant development in United’s pursuit of Yoro as it’s one of the first times there has been a clear indication of the 18-year-old beginning to signal his willingness to accept the club’s advances.
And while Djellit does reveal Madrid are “still there” in the race, he describes them as “behind” United at present.
If United were able to strike a deal for one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, from under the noses of Spain and Europe’s champions, it would prove a game-changing win for INEOS in their first transfer window at the helm at Old Trafford.
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