Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag faces a potential selection headache with the imminent transfer of Leny Yoro, which may force him to reconsider other defensive targets.
The French teenager initially seemed set for Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants failed to match United’s £52m bid. Yoro is now heading to Manchester for a medical, with the deal nearing completion.
This summer was always expected to be busy for United, particularly in defense, with Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala departing and Victor Lindelof potentially on his way out. Yoro’s arrival could see other targets, such as Matthijs de Ligt and Jarrad Branthwaite, fall by the wayside.
Ten Hag has assured De Ligt of regular first-team football, something he lacks at Bayern Munich. However, with Lisandro Martinez being a key player for United, it might be Branthwaite who remains with his current club.
Former Premier League midfielder Remy Cabella, who played with Yoro at Lille, has praised the youngster. “At Marseille, I knew Boubacar Kamara, at Saint-Etienne, William Saliba and Wesley Fofana, and now there’s Leny Yoro,” Cabella said. “He has all the qualities and potential to do something huge. He’s very humble, and that’s another of his strengths.”
Despite turning 18 in November, Yoro became a regular for Lille last season, making 44 appearances and scoring three goals. Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1 and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.
United, who finished eighth in the Premier League last season, have begun their summer rebuild under new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Key hires, including Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada, and Jason Wilcox, have been made to oversee the club’s business.
Joshua Zirkzee has already joined United for £36.5m from Bologna, providing competition for Rasmus Hojlund up front after the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial during Ten Hag’s tenure.
“He’s a player who can link up the game, hold up the ball, have good ideas, be creative and dribble in combinations,” Ten Hag said of Zirkzee. “So that’s a different type [of player] and always what we are looking for, so it gives us more options tactically, which is good.
“Particularly up front, we have many players who can play very direct, so they can take a big benefit from his skills.”
The potential addition of Yoro further complicates Ten Hag’s defensive plans, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity as United look to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.
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