Leny Yoro is flying to England to have a medical and finalise personal terms over a move to Manchester United worth up £52million.
Lille accepted United’s offer of £42m plus £10m in add-ons for the 18-year-old French centre-back last week, but there were concerns that Yoro’s preference was to join Real Madrid.
However, United have moved swiftly to get the deal done and are hopeful of signing him on a five-year contract with the option to extend it by another 12 months. Yoro, who made 41 appearances for Lille last season, was also attracting interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
He is set to become United’s second signing of the summer after Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee moved to Old Trafford for £36.5m. Centre-back and centre-forward were United’s priority positions in this transfer window, so new co-owners Ineos and manager Erik ten Hag will be pleased to get both deals tied up so early in pre-season after appointing Dan Ashworth as sporting director.
United are interested in signing a second centre-back, having held talks with Bayern Munich over £42m-rated Matthijs de Ligt and having two offers of up to £50m for Jarrad Branthwaite rejected by Everton. However, it’s understood that could depend on raising extra cash through player sales.
Veteran defender Jonny Evans has been offered a new one-year contract, but Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala have left Old Trafford and another slot could open up if Victor Lindelof moves to Fenerbahce.
Mason Greenwood is also on the verge of leaving the club to join Marseille in a deal worth around £30m.
United will also look to strengthen the squad by signing a full-back and defensive midfielder, although the latter could hinge on Casemiro or Scott McTominay leaving the club this summer.
Yoro had been waiting on Madrid to match United's bid, but Lille pushed the defender to join the Red Devils with the Champions League winners unwilling to pay the fee.
He was Liverpool's prime target, too, but the Reds are understood to have been convinced he only wanted to move to Spain.
Madrid were believed to be more interested in waiting to recruit the 18-year-old next summer when he would have become a free agent, which in turn will saw Lille push to get United's deal over the line sooner rather than later.
Yoro, who is viewed as a generational talent, made his debut for the Lille reserve team in 2022, signing his first professional contract with the club in January of that year.
His professional debut came in May 2022 aged 16, making him the second youngest-ever player to play for the club.
In total, he has made 55 appearances for the French club, scoring two goals, and helped the club to a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.
He is also a youth international with France, currently starring for the Under-21 team, having also featured at U17, U18 and U19 level.
