Manchester United have announced the signing of teenage Defender Lenny Yoro, from French Ligue 1 side, Lille for a reported fee of £52 Million. The teenage sensation has been a revelation for the French side and was reportedly courted by other top clubs including Liverpool and Real Madrid but eventually settled for the red half of Manchester.
“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” said Yoro.
“Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family.
“I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates. I cannot wait to get started,” he added.
Yoro’s arrival follows United’s recent signing of forward Joshua Zirkzee, 23, in a £36.5m deal from Italian side Bologna and comes during a summer in which the club have been trying to bring in a central defender.
“Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football; he possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back,” said United sporting director Dan Ashworth.
United have lodged two bids with Everton for Jarrad Branthwaite but both have been rejected, with the Merseysiders understood to value him in excess of £75m.
In addition, United have been negotiating with Bayern Munich for their Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Sources say while the club remain interested in Branthwaite and De Ligt, they would not sign both and further arrivals are likely to depend on squad space and available funds.
Raphael Varane left the club at the end of the season and there are doubts over the future of Sweden’s Victor Lindelof, whose contract expires next year.
Harry Maguire was the subject of bids from rival Premier League clubs last summer but opted to remain at Old Trafford and eventually made 22 Premier League appearances.
