Leny Yoro

Born in Saint-Maurice, a suburb of Paris, Yoro joined Lille’s vaunted Academy in 2017, at the age of 11. He signed his first professional contract with Les Dogues in January 2022 and made his professional debut as a 16-year-old in May of the same year, overtaking Eden Hazard to become the second-youngest player in the Ligue Un outfit’s history. After signing a new contract, he was a more regular presence in 2022/23, deputising for veteran centre-back Jose Fonte as Paulo Fonseca’s side finished fifth in the French top-flight. “In all my years as a coach, I’ve never seen such a young player with so much maturity,” said the Portuguese coach. “He has so much class. So much elegance. He’s a beautiful player.” He started the first two games of the 2023/24 campaign on the bench, but injuries and suspension to senior players provided the opportunity for a breakthrough, which the teenager firmly grasped with both hands. Yoro made 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals to help his team qualify for the Champions League, and he was named in the division’s Team of the Year, alongside the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Kylian Mbappe. At six feet three inches tall, Yoro is a physical presence, but he also has the ability to play stylish passes from the back and has an exceptional reading of the game, which he exemplified during Lille’s run to the Europa Conference League quarter-finals – the furthest the club has ever progressed in continental competition. Yoro has Ivorian roots, through his father, but has been capped at youth level by France in four separate age groups and, although Les Bleus are stacked with defensive talent, it is surely only a matter of time before he features for Didier Deschamps’ side. “Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” Yoro said, upon signing. “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.”