Manchester United has secured the signing of 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro from Lille for a reported €62 million. The transfer fee could rise to €70 million with potential bonuses, according to BBC Sport's Simon Stone.
Yoro, who attracted interest from Real Madrid, has signed a five-year contract with Manchester United, with an option for an additional season.
"Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honor," Yoro said in a statement.
This signing follows the recent addition of Joshua Zirkzee and brings the club's summer spending under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to over €100 million.
According to The Athletic's David Ornstein and Guillermo Rai, Real Madrid had offered €30 million for Yoro due to his contract expiring in a year. However, Lille rejected the bid, having previously valued Yoro at €100 million, and pushed him towards Manchester United.
"Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project and showed a lot of care for me and my family," Yoro added. "I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new teammates. I cannot wait to get started."
Despite Yoro's arrival, Manchester United may still be looking for additional defensive reinforcements. Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite are potential options, with Everton reportedly demanding at least £70 million for Branthwaite.
United's sporting director Dan Ashworth said Yoro "possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class center-back" and emphasized the club's strong record of developing young players and providing them with the necessary guidance and patience to succeed.
Yoro, a right-footed central defender, has started 38 of 46 top-flight matches since his debut for Lille as a 16-year-old in May 2022.
