Manchester United will have to pay as much as £78m to sign a big talent with a “great future” ahead of him, and they’ve reportedly already made contact with his club.
Man Utd chasing defensive signings in January
Erik ten Hag’s side have had plenty of issues this season, from injuries to a lack of quality in attack, but they have also looked short at the back, playing a part in their Premier League struggles. Lisandro Martinez has been an undoubted loss through injury, but the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans have all looked far from perfect at different times, highlighting the need for reinforcements at the back.
It could even be that Varane leaves United during the January transfer window, according to recent reports regarding his future, and that could generate funds for a younger, less injury-prone replacement this month.
A plethora of centre-backs have been linked with moves to Old Trafford of late, with Crystal Palace ace Mark Guehi seen as a potential option for the Red Devils. Meanwhile, Nice starlet Jean-Clair Todibo is another talented player who could make a difference for Ten Hag, and United are also one of the English clubs who could look to snap up Portugal international Goncalo Inacio, too.
Now, an update has emerged regarding another defensive target, as Ten Hag looks to get some important business over the line in January.
Man Utd target Leny Yoro’s price tag revealed
According to a report from Le10Sport [via Sport Witness], Manchester United will need to pay €90m (£78m) to sign Lille centre-back Leny Yoro in the January window.
That’s according to the club’s president, Olivier Letang, who is demanding an “astronomical sum” for one of his most prized assets – one who is being “courted by all the major European teams”. Manchester City are also one of them, and it is claimed that both Manchester clubs have actually already made early contact for the January window.
United simply have to start a rebuild in their defence, with Martinez the only player who looks like a genuinely strong option moving forward, both in terms of age and quality. Varane isn’t the force he once was, Lindelof is limited as a regular starter, and Maguire and Evans are both in their 30s now.
Yoro could be such an exciting option for the Red Devils to bring in, though, with the 18-year-old already an influential figure for Lille, despite still being so young.
Granted, he is still someone who has some maturing to do as a footballer, but he could end up being one of the best in Europe in his position, with Paulo Fonseca saying he has a “great future ahead of him”.
Yoro would admittedly cost a huge amount of money, and United have been guilty of overspending on players in the recent past, he looks like a top-quality young talent who could be a star at Old Trafford for the next decade or so.
