“He will be one of the best central defenders in Europe”… What you need to know about Frenchman Leny Yoro, Manchester United’s new recruit

The 18-year-old joined Manchester United from Lille on Thursday, replacing fellow French defender Raphael Varane who is on a free transfer.

A great hope for French football, Leny Yoro signed with Manchester United on Thursday, July 18, for five years. The former Lille player left France at just 18 years old to discover the Premier League. The youngest scorer for Losc in the last ten years, the defender is already being compared to big French names, such as William Saliba and Raphaël Varane. But who is Leny Yoro really?

Debut in Ligue 1 at 16 years old

Leny Yoro made his Ligue 1 debut at just 16 years, six months and one day, on May 14, 2022 against Toulouse. Enough to write his name in the annals of his club. The last player to have made his Ligue 1 debut at such a young age with Lille was none other than Eden Hazard. On this occasion, Leny Yoro became the second youngest player in the history of the Dogues to play in the first division, behind Joël Henry, in 1978. A record of precocity since broken by Ayyoub Bouaddi, who made his Ligue 1 debut at the age of 16 years and 20 days, on October 22.

The defender born in Val-de-Marne quickly entered the rotation of his coach Paulo Fonseca, making his first start on September 17, 2022, then occasionally replacing veteran José Fonte. With the Portuguese player gone in the summer of 2023, Yoro earned his starting spot last season. He only missed two league games and discovered the European Cup. He even became the youngest scorer for the Dogues in ten years with a goal against HNK Rijeka, in the Europa Conference League play-offs. “For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe”his former coach Paulo Fonseca had announced in November 2023.

Successor of Raphaël Varane

The natural replacement for Raphaël Varane? The two players have similar trajectories. The former defender of the Blues, born in Lille but trained at the rival Lensois, also left Ligue 1 at 18 to join a big European club, Real Madrid. At Manchester United, Leny Yoro is preparing to take the place of the world champion, free of any contract after the end of his lease with the Red Devils. Beyond his precocity, the former defender of Losc has a game that recalls his elder.

Solid in aerial duels, the two players very rarely throw themselves to the ground to tackle. Very comfortable with the ball at their feet, they are also fast. Leny Yoro still has a lot of room for improvement. He notably finished last season in fits and starts, with a few errors in the last few matches.

A leader status among the Blues espoirs

A regular with the Bleuets since October 2023, Leny Yoro should have participated in the Olympic Games, but was not released by Losc, engaged in the Champions League play-offs in August. His coach, Thierry Henry, had praised him during the international break in March.He is having an exemplary start to his career,” said the coach of the French Olympic team at a press conference. If he continues to gain momentum in the Premier League, he could apply for a place with the Blues.

Affiliated with super agent Jorge Mendes

Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bradley Barcola… Jorge Mendes looks after the interests of many players, from the most experienced to future talents. It is no coincidence that he went looking for Leny Yoro in November 2023, when he only had one year left on his contract at Lille.

By joining Polaris Sports, the Portuguese agent’s stable, the 18-year-old defender confirmed his entry into the big leagues. Long courted by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, it was finally at Manchester United that he would continue his progression.