Sources: Man Utd close to beating Madrid to Yoro

Manchester United are close to overcoming competition from Real Madrid to seal a £52.1 million ($67.9m) deal for Leny Yoro after the Lille defender was granted permission to travel to Old Trafford for a medical, sources have told ESPN.

United, who completed the £35.8m ($46.7m) signing of Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna earlier this week, have moved ahead of Madrid in the race for Yoro, with sources telling ESPN that the Champions League winners opted against engaging in a bidding war with the Premier League club for the centre-half.

Yoro, 18, had favoured a move to Madrid and had initially been resistant to a transfer to United, but the English club have now made a breakthrough in negotiations with Lille and the player.

Sources told ESPN that Yoro told Madrid of his intention to sign for United on Tuesday night after the Spanish club failed to make a move to sign him.

Madrid, as ESPN has reported, have been in constant contact with Yoro for months but never made a concrete offer to sign him. The club had Yoro as one of their priority targets to reinforce the defence following the departure of Nacho but sources have always insisted to ESPN that they would not enter into a bidding war for his services.

In fact, Madrid were optimistic because Yoro’s desire was to join Madrid but the club were not willing to reach the price offered by United for a player who would be available for free in just 12 months.

Lille, who finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season to seal a place in the 2024-25 Champions League third qualifying round, have accepted United’s bid and Yoro is now travelling to Manchester to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.

Sources have told ESPN, however, that while Yoro’s readiness to travel to Manchester shows that the player is open to a move to Old Trafford, there is still work to do to get the deal over the line, despite Madrid’s reluctance to pursue a transfer at the same level of United’s offer.

France under-21 international Yoro is regarded as one of the brightest young defensive talents in Europe after becoming a first-team regular at Lille. He made his senior debut as a 16-year-old at the end of the 2021-22 season.

United are targeting young talent this summer as the club’s new football board, led by Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, attempt to rebuild Erik ten Hag’s squad with players who have both potential and the ability to increase their value in the team.

The pursuit of Yoro and Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt is also likely to lead to a number of defensive departures from Old Trafford this summer with United prepared to listen to offers for Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Former France international Raphaël Varane has already left the club following the expiry of his contract last month.

Information from ESPN’s Rodrigo Faez contributed to this report.