Manchester United Announces The Signing Of Leny Yoro From Lille

Manchester United has confirmed the signing of 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro.

The French teenager has established himself as one of the most highly-rated young talents in Europe.

He made his senior debut for Lille Olympique at the age of 16 and went on to become a key player last season, helping the club secure a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League

Yoro has signed a long-term contract at Old Trafford until 2029, with the possibility of an additional year. His growing reputation, even in the early stages of his career positions him as a player for both the present and the future

“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honor,” Yoro said.

“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.”

Reports indicate that United has reached an agreement for a deal starting at £42m, potentially increasing to £52m with additional bonuses. Lille’s eagerness to sell this summer stemmed from Yoro approaching the final year of his contract.

Real Madrid had been hoping to take advantage of that situation, either by waiting for the player to become a free agent in 2025 or by negotiating a deal below the market value.

However, United presented a significantly higher offer which Lille accepted, leading to the European champions effectively withdrawing from the negotiations.

Yoro’s price tag puts him into the top ten of United’s most expensive signings (without add-ons) ahead of Anthony Martial, also the club’s newly most expensive teenage acquisition. The initial £42m falls just behind Bruno Fernandes, who arrived for a starter fee of £46.5m in 2020.

United had shown a strong interest in bolstering their center-back position this summer following the departure of Raphael Varane and the injury issues they faced last season.

Yoro joins a defensive group that also features Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelöf.

But the latter is in the final year of his contract, while Jonny Evans has also recently signed a new 12-month extension to provide additional cover.

United has been considering the possibility of signing more than one central defender. They have shown interest in Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, who are both regarded as serious targets.