Chelsea and Manchester United have joined the race to sign Lille defender Leny Yoro, as per TeamTalk.
Lille are renowned for possessing some of the best young talents in European football. The likes of Victor Osimhen and Mike Maignan became household names while plying their trades with the Ligue 1 club.
This season, Yoro is another youngster who is making remarkable strides in Paulo Fonseca’s young side, as they currently sit fourth in Ligue 1 while being top of their UEFA conference League group.
Reports from Football Transfers reveal that Chelsea intend to structure the deal for Yoro similarly when they acquired Malo Gusto from Lyon, whereby the Frenchman spent the remainder of the season on loan at the club. However, the 18-year-old has also piqued the interest of French champions, Paris Saint-Germain who will prove an obstacle to the Blues deal.
The Blues will face further competition as TeamTalk says Man Utd are also in the race to sign Yoro while the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham are also keeping a close eye on his progress.
Transfer policy
United are set to embark on a new transfer policy under the new management of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Red Devils will prioritize the best young talents and Yoro has been identified as a potential option at centre-back.
Yoro has just a year left on his contract at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. While Lille will be eager to retain their starlet, they won’t risk losing him for free next summer and could be open to selling the France u21 International – who is valued at £15.4m by transfermarkt.
While some of Europe’s best-emerging talents are midfielders and attackers, Yoro seems to be in a league of his own as he is currently one of the best defenders in Ligue 1 this season at just 18 years old.
His potential is massive which is why European top clubs are courting his progress at Lille.
While United and Chelsea are financially capable of sealing a transfer and offering lucrative contracts, a pathway to first-team football would prove decisive on who Yoro decides to join.
