Man Utd ‘have Leny Yoro bid accepted’ as Sir Jim Ratcliffe closes in on three deals | Football | Sport
Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly made a crucial breakthrough in the club’s summer pursuit of Lille defender Leny Yoro. The Red Devils are known to be targeting reinforcements at the back and have been credited with a strong interest in bringing Yoro to Old Trafford.
The 18-year-old, who operates at centre-back, has been linked with a host of top European clubs including the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid. However, it seems United are at the front of the queue after taking a huge step forward in negotiations with Lille.
A bid in the region of £42million has been accepted by the French outfit, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Lille eager to get a deal done over the coming days. They are reportedly pushing Yoro to agree personal terms with the Red Devils, who are said to be offering the best package.
However, it is said that Real Madrid are still confident that Yoro will decide to join them after submitting their own offer. If they fail to land the teenage defender and he stays at Lille, they are prepared to wait until next year when he will be available on a free transfer.
Yoro played the highest number of minutes of any outfield player at Lille last season, finishing with a pass completion rate of 92 per cent. He also won 63.8 per cent of his aerial duels, with those attributes suggesting that he would fit in perfectly at United.
The Red Devils have already made progress on several other fronts, with INEOS said to be closing in on a deal to land Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutchman is reportedly eager to join United in spite of their failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
De Ligt is said to have agreed personal terms over a move to United, who are still trying to settle on a transfer fee in talks with Bayern Munich. They are reportedly open to doing business with United for the right price, but it remains to be seen if a deal can be finalised over the coming weeks.
Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee is also thought to be closing in on a move to Old Trafford after United reached a broad agreement with his representatives. Meanwhile, there is still hope that United can land Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite after their latest offer was rejected by the Toffees.
