It was thought that Leny Yoro will sign for Real Madrid instead of Man United as the two clubs battled to sign the player this summer.
The reasons Real Madrid had an undisputed advantage over Manchester United were not farfetched. From an unparalleled domestic success in Spanish football to an unrivaled dominance of Europe, the Madrid-based outfit is a dream destination for young footballers.
Notably, Real Madrid have had a long-standing interest in Leny Yoro, having monitored the development of the player over time. Their interest peaked when their long-serving defender and Spain legend Nacho asked to leave the club this summer. Lille were open to selling and cashing in on Yoro as top European clubs wanted the youngster.
Meanwhile, he had just a year left on his contract with the club. Real Madrid wanted Lille to concede on the terms of the deal before going all out for Yoro. They refused to pander to Lille’s demands, threatening to walk out of the move, and signed the player as a free agent when his contract expired.
Confident in Yoro’s loyalty and their strong appeal to the player, the Los Blancos hoped he would wait for a switch to Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent if Lille refused to peck down their asking price for the player.
However, they were undone by a smarter Manchester United recruitment team and negotiators, who hijacked the move swiftly.
United shockingly reached an agreement with Lille on a deal worth £52m, signing the player and ending Real Madrid’s hope of adding the youngster to their defensive options.
Why Leny Yoro joined Manchester United instead of Real Madrid
The deciding factor in Leny Yoro’s decision to join Manchester United has been revealed. The Frenchman eventually signed a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months as United successfully negotiated a £52m fee with Lille.
According to Marca, Real Madrid offered Yoro a pay packet of £2.5m-per-season, while United put together a deal on personal terms that were triple that offering.
A total of £8.1m-per-year was agreed with Yoro by the 13-time Premier League champions as Madrid decided not to increase their bid and instead started to explore other options. This is said to have played a role in the player’s decision to join United.
Also, Leny Yoro was assured of a quick integration into the Manchester United squad by the manager Erik Ten Hag – a prospect he couldn’t envisage with Real Madrid
Real Madrid on why they opted out of the move
Leny Yoro’s decision to join Manchester United was a direct snub from Real Madrid. The La Liga giants were confident that the player would join for free after his contract expired following the dragging talks with Lille.
Meanwhile, it was understood the club had halted their pursuit of the player after it was clear that United were advancing on a deal with Lille and the player as well.
In what was seen more as a PR move to cover up their blunder, Real Madrid maintained that the move for Leny Yoro was halted as he did not fit into the manager Carlo Ancelotti’s squad plan.
Leny Yoro injury
Leny Yoro made a promising debut for Manchester United in a 2-0 friendly win over Rangers. However, he picked up a disastrous muscle injury in pre-season match against Arsenal.
United confirmed he has picked up a metatarsal injury and will miss three months of action. His injury led the club to sign a defensive duo from Bayern Munich Mathijs de Ligt and Nassour Mazraoui.
