According to The Athletic, Manchester United are focused on landing the signature of Lille centre-back Leny Yoro despite agreeing personal terms with Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Man United are planning to spend big on a new central defender after the release of Raphael Varane. De Ligt has been tipped to join the club in the last few weeks but The Athletic specify that he is not the number one target.
Leno is the priority for the Red Devils. The 18-year-old has Real Madrid as his preferred club, but they have yet to show any indication of paying the level of fee that Lille have accepted from the Red Devils.
United are hopeful of convincing Leno to choose them over Madrid. The Athletic add that a deal for de Ligt would be straightforward. He could be the fallback option for the Red Devils if Leno does not arrive.
Huge talent
United have a clear plan of bolstering their squad with emerging players who can provide long term success. They recently landed the signature of Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee. The 23-year-old has yet to become a prolific goalscorer in his club career, but United believe he has the potential to evolve into one in the coming seasons.
Yoro has made a bigger impression than Zirkzee in his short time with Lille. The youngster has already established himself as a key starter in the heart of the defence for the French heavyweights. Lille would preferably want to keep him for years to come, but with his contract expiring next summer, they are expected to sanction his departure.
The Ligue 1 outfit are willing to sell Yoro after receiving a £52 million offer from United. The onus is now on Madrid to make a proposal close to that figure. If not, United should be fairly confident of winning the race for the youngster. Yoro would be a fantastic addition to the squad due to his ball-playing skills from the right centre-back position.
The French wonderkid has attributes which would suit the demands of the Premier League. He is gifted with a good aerial presence and does not hesitate in making clearances. He would be a good replacement for Varane, considering he will only get better with age and experience on his side.
