Leny Yoro prepared to stay at Lille and leave as free agent to join Real Madrid despite Man United’s superior bid | OneFootball

After leaking 85 goals in all competitions and finishing with a negative goal difference for the first time in the Premier League era, it is clear that Manchester United need to upgrade their options at the back.

Raphael Varane has already announced he is leaving while both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been linked with exits. Veteran Jonny Evans might be kept on but mainly as a mentor instead of as a backup option if recent reports are to be believed.

That means more than one centre-back could be targeted and as per AS, Leny Yoro remains a prime target for the Red Devils who recently put in a mega bid for the Lille star.

As recently relayed by The Peoples Person, arch-rivals Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are among the teams vying for his signature.

Yoro race

However, it is Real Madrid who are favourites for the 18-year-old generational talent. The player himself is extremely keen to play in white.

The only problem is the fact that Los Blancos are refusing to match Lille’s asking price of €60 million and are prepared to spend a maximum of €40 million.

That might indicate that the Manchester giants are in the lead but the French U21 international might play spoilsport. Even if his parent club were to accept the English side’s offer, the player has shown no interest of accepting a move anywhere other than the Bernabeu.

In fact, the Spanish outlet even indicate that the Golden Boy candidate could dig his heels in and with his contract ending in 2025, could leave as a free agent and join the Spanish giants instead.

“Real Madrid are clear that they will not pay more than 40 million but Lille already has received much higher offers. Both PSG and Manchester United have already made moves (the latter is very serious, having already put on the table an amount very close to the 60 million they are asking for at Pierre-Mauroy).

“Madrid wants the player, but in no case will they reach the figures that others are offering. And there is a clear position: as was said a few days ago, they are clear that they will not enter into a bidding contest.

“Madrid will offer, maximum, 40 million and from there, Yoro and Lille will decide. The club has the right not to accept, but the player also has the right not to leave. And that’s what they point to at the Bernabéu.

Real remain in the lead

“If Lille are inclined to transfer him to another club, it is the player himself who can step on the brakes and make it clear that he wants to go to only Madrid, with something as simple as staying for another season being within his reach, in the worst case scenario. Which means he will finish his contract and decide as a free agent.”

That would be a huge loss for the Ligue 1 club and they simply cannot afford such a costly financial mistake. Real have, in the past, won races even though their bid has been lower than others.

Looks like history might be about to repeat itself unless United can make a bid hard for the French side to turn down and convince the Frenchman to ditch his idea of playing in Spain to ply his trade at the Theatre of Dreams.

The race for Yoro is expected to have plenty more twists and turns along the way. And considering the interest he has generated, this might turn out to be one of the transfer sagas of the summer.

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