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Manchester United have signed French defender Leny Yoro from Lille until 2029 in a deal worth €62m (£52.18m), with €8m (£6.73m) in add-ons.
The 18-year-old centre-back, who has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford with an option for an additional 12 months, made his debut for Lille at 16 and had been linked with Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, and Liverpool.
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Last season, Yoro played 32 league games, scored two goals, helped Lille finish fourth, and was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season. “Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” said Yoro.
“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. 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 team-mates.
I cannot wait to get started.” Yoro made 44 appearances in all competitions for Lille, who reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League before being knocked out by Aston Villa on penalties.
His arrival follows United’s recent signing of forward Joshua Zirkzee, 23, in a £36.5m deal from Bologna and comes during a summer in which the club has been seeking a central defender.
“Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football; he possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back,” said United sporting director Dan Ashworth.
