‘Kylian Mbappe of defenders’ Leny Yoro is 6ft 3in teenager who beat Eden Hazard record and now set for Manchester United move
Manchester United are set to sign the ‘Kylian Mbappe of defenders’ and you can't get a much better compliment than that.
The Red Devils have fought off a challenge from Real Madrid to move close to sealing the signing of Lille centre-back Leny Yoro.
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The 18-year-old is flying to the UK to complete a medical and agree personal terms after his Ligue 1 side accepted a £52million bid.
When he sets foot on the Old Trafford pitch for the first time this season, the teenager will be easily noticeable as he stands at a whopping 6ft 3in tall.
Yoro has a huge presence and is an aggressive defender with impressive technical ability and pace that allows him to cover his teammates at the back akin to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk.
He has already made over 60 first-team appearances for Lille, making his debut for the club at the age of 16, becoming their second youngest-ever player.
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By doing that, Yoro replaced Chelsea legend Eden Hazard in the record books, knocking the legendary Blues winger down to third.
He played more outfield minutes for his side than any other player last campaign, proving that the teenager had the complete trust of his manager, Paul Fonseca.
And speaking before Lille took on Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League last season, Fonseca couldn’t speak highly enough of the Frenchman.
He said: "I believe Leny in the next year will be at one of the best clubs in Europe. He started here at 16 with us. He is very ambitious but very disciplined.
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"He grew a lot but he is a kid with a big maturity, with big quality. He's very focused and very concentrated, he wants to learn every day.
“I have no doubt in modern football he will be one of the best central defenders in the world.”
That final statement is one echoed by Real Madrid as they thought of Yoro as the ‘Mbappe of defenders’, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Yoro had the chance to test himself against the new Real Madrid superstar during a 1-1 draw in December and played the full ninety minutes to help Lille deny Paris Saint-Germain a ninth successive Ligue 1 win.
However, the teenager was denied a clean sheet when Bafode Diakite's foul on Lucas Hernandez saw Mbappe score a penalty.
The two have had a similar early career, with Mbappe also making his professional debut in France at the age of 16 before heading to a top European side.
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Of course, they play in completely different positions, but to be on a similar trajectory to one of the world’s best is an incredible compliment.
And great reviews of Yoro and his ability seem to be a regular occurrence with a former Man United star giving his seal of approval for the move.
Angel Gomes came through the Red Devils’ academy before leaving in 2020 to join Lille in France.
He has been Yoro’s teammate ever since the centre-back broke into the first team and has given a glowing endorsement of the teenager.
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Gomes told Eurosport: “As soon as he arrived in the group, I understood that he was going to reach the summits.
“When I discovered the pros at the age of 16 at Manchester United, I understood that it was different.
“He already had the right temperament. That’s not normal for a 16- or 17-year-old player arriving.
“It’s like he’s already an experienced player and it showed in the way he trained, the way he behaved. His progress was obvious.”
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It now seems like Yoro will be heading to the club that developed Gomes in a move that will be very popular among Man United fans.
That includes club legend Rio Ferdinand, who wanted the Red Devils to bring in Yoro this summer.
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He is set to become the fifth most expensive teenager of all time and will look to break into Erik ten Hag’s back line alongside Lisandro Martinez.
Ten Hag seems to have found his replacement for Raphael Varane and will be delighted that Yoro has changed his mind after initially preferring a move to Madrid.