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Manchester United’s defence could be set to undergo a revolution soon with the old guard moving on and a new batch coming through.
There have already been reports that Raphael Varane’s contract will not be extended and with Victor Lindelof staying only till 2025 for now, and Harry Maguire’s future in perennial doubt, new faces are needed.
To that effect, United have been linked with LOSC Lille’s Leny Yoro, one of world football’s premier defensive talents at just 18.
Yoro has become a key part of the first team, playing 86% of all available minutes in his breakthrough campaign and murmurs have started that he has already outgrown his current club.
Going by the thoughts of the people around him in France, it looks like United need to go all-in for him in the summer because he could be a once-in-a-generation talent.
Talking to Ligue 1’s official website, Jean-Michel Vandamme, the academy General Manager of Lille, said Yoro has “got a good sense of movement and good timing”.
He said that “defensive aerial play” is an area he needs to improve upon but considering that he had been in the youth academy for only two years before his debut, there’s plenty of time.
He said: “He’s had an accelerated learning curve because he only spent two years at the youth academy.
“Leny is a quick learner. He wants to excel and has a real interest in analysing different situations and understanding them, while putting himself under controlled pressure.”
While the Academy General Manager is understandably trying to temper expectations around the prodigy, former Newcastle player Remy Cabella, now Leny’s teammate at Lille, has no such restraints.
Cabella compared Yoro to French defensive marvels like William Saliba and Wesley Fofana, saying he has “the potential to do something huge”.
“He has all the qualities and potential to do something huge. He’s very humble and that’s another of his strengths,” Cabella said, waxing lyrical for his teammate.
The Peoples Person earlier reported that Yoro could be on the market for £78 million, a price that is undoubtedly a negotiating tactic, considering the huge interest in his services.
However, if Yoro keeps his form going till the summer, even that might look like an intelligent bargain considering his talent and age.
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