Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are set to fight it out for Lille’s centre-back Leny Yoro, with Manchester United also in the mix.
The upcoming summer transfer market is already heating up, and one of the hottest prospects attracting attention is the 18-year-old central defender from Lille. With the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga still dragging on between Madrid and PSG, the focus now shifts to Yoro, who has been dubbed as one of the most promising talents in European football.
According to AS, Madrid have been monitoring Yoro for months and the technical staff of Los Blancos hold the young centre-back in high regard. Meanwhile, PSG had already attempted to secure his services in the previous winter window, but Yoro opted to remain at Lille until the end of the current season.
However, PSG face a significant obstacle in their pursuit of Yoro: Lille’s reluctance to sell to a direct competitor like the Parisians, with whom they have strained relations. Lille’s president, Olivier Letang, favours selling Yoro to an overseas club rather than PSG, given the history between the two clubs. However, the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has a strong relationship with PSG’s sporting advisor, Luis Campos which could tilt the scales in favour of the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
Lille has reportedly set Yoro’s price tag at €60 million (£51m/$65m), a significant rise from the €20m (£17m/$21.56m) at the beginning of the season. However, Lille’s negotiating position has weakened as talks for Yoro’s contract renewal have allegedly stalled and his current deal expires in 2025. Amidst this backdrop, Manchester United have also expressed interest in Yoro, further intensifying the competition for his signature.
As the summer transfer window approaches, the battle for Yoro’s services is expected to escalate, with Lille facing the prospect of losing their prized asset to one of Europe’s elite clubs. In the short term, Yoro will be in action against Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
