Real Madrid ‘to battle Chelsea, Manchester United for £51m-rated 18-year-old’

Real Madrid are reportedly set to rival Chelsea and Manchester United for the signature of Lille’s 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro this summer.

Real Madrid will reportedly rival Chelsea and Manchester United for the signature of Lille defender Leny Yoro this summer.
The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the brightest prospects in Europe since cementing his place in Lille’s senior side over the past 18 months.

Yoro has made a total of 35 first-team appearances for Les Dogues across all tournaments so far this season, including 24 starts out of 25 in Ligue 1.

The 6ft 3in centre-back has been an integral figure in Paulo Fonseca’s side that sits fourth in the French top-flight table – just three points behind the Champions League positions – and has kept 14 clean sheets when the teenager has played in defence.

Yoro’s impressive rise is understood to have caught the eye of several top European clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, with Premier League duo Chelsea and Man United said to be hold a strong interest in the youngster.

Chelsea have reportedly identified Yoro as a potential replacement for 39-year-old Thiago Silva, who is increasingly likely to leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Man United, meanwhile, have allegedly sent scouts to watch Yoro, who will see his deal at Lille expire in June 2025.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also been linked with Yoro, but according to Spanish news outlet AS, via the Daily Mail, they could all face stern competition from Real Madrid for the defender’s signature.

The report adds that Los Blancos president Florentino Perez is targeting the addition of a young defender now that captain Nacho Fernandez, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba have all entered their thirties.

Yoro, who is thought to favour a move to Real Madrid, was initially valued at around €100m (£85m) by Lille during the January transfer window, but that figure is said to have dropped to €60m (£51m).

Leny Yoro to become the next highly-rated youngster to join Real Madrid?

Real Madrid have adopted the approach of recruiting a plethora of highly-rated youngsters in recent years, with some of those developing into first-team stars under manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The standout addition who has elevated his games to new heights is 20-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has recorded 20 goals and nine assists in 31 games during an exceptional debut campaign for Los Blancos in 2023-24 following his £88m switch from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, both 23, are both regarded as invaluable first-team attacking assets by Real Madrid, while Eduardo Camavinga, 21, and Arda Guler, 19, are also rated highly by the Spanish giants, although the latter has endured a frustrating injury-hit debut season at the club following his move from Fenerbahce last summer.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old striker Endrick – who became the youngster ever men’s player to score an international goal at Wembley Stadium in Brazil’s 1-0 friendly win over England last weekend – will join Real Madrid from Palmeiras for a reported €60m this summer.

There is also the small matter of the expected arrival of Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, with the 25-year-old set to confirm his decision to join Los Blancos on a free transfer, following the expiration of his contract at PSG, ahead of representing France at Euro 2024.

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