Man United Unveil Teenager Leny Yoro After €62M Deal

Manchester United has completed the signing of 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro from Lille for a reported fee of €62 million. The deal could potentially rise to €70 million with certain bonuses, as reported by BBC Sport's Simon Stone.

Yoro, who attracted interest from Real Madrid, signed a five-year contract with Manchester United, with an option for an additional year.

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

This signing follows the recent addition of Joshua Zirkzee and brings Manchester United's total spending to over €100 million in Sir Jim Ratcliffe's first summer as co-owner.

According to David Ornstein and Guillermo Rai of The Athletic, Real Madrid had only offered €30 million for Yoro due to his contract with Lille expiring in a year. Lille rejected the offer, valuing Yoro at €100 million and urging him to accept United's offer or face potential sidelining for the season.

Yoro said United's clear development plan and care for him and his family were key factors in his decision to join the club.

"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," he added. "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 teammates. I cannot wait to get started."

Yoro's signing does not rule out further defensive additions for Manchester United. Ornstein and Rai report that Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite are being considered as potential options, with Everton reportedly demanding at least £70 million for Branthwaite.

United sporting director Dan Ashworth praised Yoro, stating he "possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class center-back" and highlighted the club's record of developing young players.

Yoro, a right-footed central defender, has started 38 of 46 top-flight matches since making his debut for Lille at the age of 16 in May 2022.