Lille defender Leny Yoro is closing in on a move to Manchester United after a deal worth over £50m was agreed.
Man Utd have agreed personal terms in principle with the 18-year-old, who was undergoing a medical in England on Wednesday.
It was thought Real Madrid were the Frenchman’s preference, but United have been working to convince him to join.
There is still work to do as a deal is not fully done, but Man Utd are now optimistic they can get it over the line.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt are players the club still admire – and remain options, subject to having budget and squad space available as the window evolves.
Signing two central defenders this summer is possible for Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag following the exits of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala, and further departures would increase that likelihood.
The move for Yoro comes with Lille finding themselves in a difficult situation because he has one year left on his deal and can speak to clubs outside of France from January.
Yoro made 41 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side last season and scored three goals.
“Yoro is a very complete defender for someone so young. Watching him in the flesh, he’s very, very impressive. He’s imposing, he’s good on the ball, he can use his frame to his advantage.
“He really does play like a veteran, the maturity he has is hugely impressive and he reads the game very well. He has a very complete profile and is arguably the best young defensive talent in Europe.
“This is a big upgrade for Manchester United in terms of building for the future. This could be one of the best transfer deals of the summer”, says French football expert Jonathan Johnson. – Sky Sports.
