Erik ten Hag has a limited amount of time to work with new Manchester United arrival Leny Yoro as the defender has already ‘agreed’ to join a European giant in one particular transfer window, reports have claimed.
Yoro emerged as one of the most coveted young players in Europe after breaking through at Lille. Clubs such as Man Utd, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea were soon linked with the centre-back.
Earlier this summer, both Man Utd and Real Madrid entered into formal discussions with Lille to try and strike a deal for Yoro.
The exciting French talent was understood to be holding out for a switch to Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side never matched his price tag.
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Instead, Man Utd captured Yoro for an initial £52million, while the deal could eventually rise to £59m if certain conditions are met.
The 18-year-old will spend three months on the sidelines after picking up an injury in pre-season, but Ten Hag expects him to become a top player for Man Utd when he returns to fitness and continues his stunning development.
However, Ten Hag and Man Utd may not be able to rely on Yoro for the next 5-10 years. According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, the player has already reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe which will allow him to join Madrid for a reasonable price in the future.
The report sensationally claims that Yoro will spend the next two years at Old Trafford before being allowed to sign for Madrid in the summer of 2026.
Man Utd transfers: Leny Yoro eyes next move
Such a move would see the France U23 international fulfil his lifelong dream of playing for Madrid, while also linking up with world-class stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
As these claims are coming from Spain, it is reasonable to suggest that it is the Madrid-based press getting ahead of themselves. After all, the Champions League holders rarely ever miss out on a top signing, as they did with Yoro, and the club is still reeling.
Nevertheless, it is still possible that Yoro will join Madrid in the future, should he push for such a move and Los Blancos offer Man Utd way more than they originally paid for the starlet.
But Man Utd will want to get 3-4 years out of Yoro – at the very least – after working so hard to win the race for his services. If Yoro goes on to reach his elite potential, then Ratcliffe will be able to demand more than £100m from Madrid before selling in the future.
Meanwhile, separate reports have detailed just how impressive Man Utd’s capture of fellow defender Matthijs de Ligt was.
It has been revealed that European heavyweights Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain both hoped to land the Dutch centre-half and had made contact with his entourage.
However, De Ligt decided to snub their advances in order to join Man Utd. One of the main reasons for this is that he has been able to reunite with his former Ajax manager Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Having already brought in the likes of Yoro and De Ligt, Man Utd recruitment chiefs are now working on a few more big signings.
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