Manchester United are set to beat Real Madrid to the signing of 18-year-old centre-back prodigy Leny Yoro from Lille in a reverse of 2011’s Raphael Varane transfer saga.
Varane, who grew up in Lille but played for neighbouring Lens, was famously snatched out from under Sir Alex Ferguson’s nose after Zinedine Zidane, then a ‘special adviser’ at the Bernabeu, wooed the teenage defender and turned his head towards the Spanish capital.
This time, despite initial hesitance from Yoro over a lingering preference for Madrid, a deal is imminent now he has accepted personal terms and a two-part medical in Manchester is underway.
Ultimately, a willingness from United to pay what Lille wanted, and the opposite from Madrid, is what has decided this particular transfer race relatively quickly.
Lille allowing Yoro to leave at all is a product of the youngster being out of contract next year and not prepared to sign a new one as he eyes the next step on his career ladder.
Perhaps confident that he was only interested joining them, as has been the case with Kylian Mbappe on a grander scale this summer, Madrid’s tactic had been to wait it out and pick him up as a free agent in 2025, which Lille understandably didn’t want, or lowball it to do a deal this summer instead, which Lille also understandably didn’t want.
United took advantage of the situation when they made a £42m, rising to £52m, offer. Once Yoro decided, seemingly not until Tuesday evening, that it was something he is interested in, he was on a plane to England the very next morning.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Madrid were informed of that development. But, surprisingly or not, it didn’t change their stance. Beyond waiting for 2025 to come and sweet free agency, the most the club were seemingly ever willing to pay this year was €25m (£16.8m), under a third of what Lille will end up getting now. It’s obvious why the French side were so ready to accept United’s offer and why they wanted Yoro to agree to it too given the alternative option.
For Madrid, signing Mbappe hasn’t quite been ‘free’ due to a nine-figure signing bonus in his contract. Endrick’s transfer fee from Palmeiras starts at €35m and could hit €60m. It’s also just a year since Jude Bellingham came for a total package of €134m from Borussia Dortmund. On that basis, it would be easy to assume that there isn’t a limitless stream of money on tap at the Bernabeu.
The club has rarely spent anything on centre-backs in recent times due to a combination of factors. Eder Militao cost €50m from Porto in 2019, but his transfer is the only time since 2011 that Madrid have paid a fee for a player in that part of the pitch.
The longevity of Sergio Ramos, recruited in 2005, for 16 years is one reason. Raphael Varane, the last centre-back before Militao that cost a fee, similarly for ten seasons is another. Madrid have also played the free agency market smartly, landing both Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba that way.
Meanwhile, Nacho Fernandez was home-grown and the club basically haven’t needed anyone else.
With 34-year-old Nacho moving on to the Saudi Pro League this summer, it was Yoro who the European champions wanted to complete their centre-back group. That fourth role will now likely go to Jesus Vallejo, back from another loan, although a potential injury setback for Alaba has created an issue. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has filled in at the back when emergency dictates.
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