New Delhi: Every once in a while there’s a teenage footballer who creates a wave in the transfer market, sending all the clubs in a transfer frenzy over who will get that highly-rated youngster who could be the next big thing in the world of football. In 2017, it was Kylian Mbappe, in 2019 it was Mathias De Ligt, and last season we had Jude Bellingham and Romeo Lavia and joining them in this category this year, is LOSC Lille’s Leny Yoro.
Lille’s 18-year-old centre-back is the centre of attention for clubs this summer with multiple clubs hoping to sign the prospect and secure their defensive future. Having been liked with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, and Manchester United ever since the end of last season, a €50 million bid was sent to Lille by Manchester United and the French club accepted the offer.
Yoro is in the final year of his contract and isn’t going to sign an extension with Lille which makes the club want to sell the player for a profit in this window rather than lose him for free next year. He’s the most exciting youngster the club has had since Eden Hazard, another player who was appreciated by both Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Who is ‘the next Raphael Varane’, Leny Yoro?
Leny Yoro is one of the hottest prospects in football currently (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
Leny Yoro is a 2005-born 18-year-old French centre-back who made his way into the Lille first team in 2022, stepping up from the academy and the Lille B team. He made his first team debut in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season aged 16 years and 181 days, becoming Lille’s second youngest player in history, overtaking Eden Hazard.
He went on to make 13 appearances all season for the Mastiffs as they finished fifth in the league. Last season was Yoro’s breakthrough season with the club, playing 32 out of the club’s 34 league games, scoring twice and securing a fourth-place finish for his team, ensuring them a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round.
His performances throughout last season haven’t gone unnoticed and he now has multiple top clubs vying for his signature. He is extremely calm and composed in possession, a trait that not many of his age show on the field. His defensive numbers for Lille last season were extremely impressive as well. When comparing his numbers with other top defenders of the league, such as Milan Skriniar, Marquinhos, Lucas Hernandez, and Jean-Claire Todibo, Yoro is either matching them or outperforming them, despite being much younger than them in age.
Leny Yoro won 69.4% of all his tackles in the league, which is significantly higher than Marquinhos, Hernandez and Todibo. While Skriniar won 75% of his tackles, he won a total of 18 tackles compared to Yoro’s 25. Even his numbers when it comes to duels won is higher than all the other four defenders mentioned and he poses an attacking threat as well, making 18 touches in the opposition box, the same as Todibo and just behind Hernandez with 21.
His awareness and reading of the game are exceptional for his age, evidenced by his 36 interceptions in the league, only narrowly bettered by Todibo with 38, while the rest are far behind Yoro in this category. The young defender has had an exceptional season aged just 18 and with his showings across the season, he certainly looks like the next big defender to come out of France.
Who wants to sign Leny Yoro?
Both of Varane’s last two clubs are in the hunt for the next Varane. (Photos: Getty Images)
Several top clubs are in the mix to sign the defender with Real Madrid and Manchester United looking like the front runners for the defender currently. Yoro is said to have his heart set on a move to Real Madrid with the Spanish giants being his dream destination but they don’t seem to be willing to give into Lille’s demands. Real Madrid are willing to wait till 2025, when the defender’s contract expires and then signing him on a free transfer.
However, a spanner has been thrown in the works as Lille have accepted Manchester United’s €50 million bid for the defender. With his contract expiring next year, this window poses the last opportunity for Lille to get a fee for their star and that’s what drove them to accept Manchester United’s offer. The defender could be coaxed by his current club to accept the move to Old Trafford, rather than wait for Real Madrid.
Manchester United are in the market for at least one centre-back having lost out Varane, and seem to be heading for the next Varane to replace him, but he’s not the only one on their list. They’re also tracking both Mathias De Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and won’t wait long for Yoro to make up his mind. This could turn out to be one of the most exciting transfer sagas of the summer for the neutrals.
Lille’s latest exciting young talent Leny Yoro has caught the eye of big clubs around the world leading to a tussle for his signature between Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and PSG. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
