Manchester United have found themselves linked with a host of centre-halves since the window opened last month.
In fact, the Red Devils had a £35 million offer for Jarrad Branthwaite rejected by Everton on the first day of the window (June 14).
They are yet to test the Toffees’ resolve again and have instead turned their attention to Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt, meaning yet another Erik ten Hag-coached player could make the switch to Old Trafford.
All aspects of negotiations appear to be moving positively, with fans anticipating that the Dutch international could well be their first signing through the doors at Carrington in the coming weeks.
Should that be the case, it’s thought that INEOS will target at least one more defender to bolster the backline that was decimated by injuries across the 2023/2024 term. 18-year-old Leny Yoro of Lille has been mooted as a potential candidate, as he garners interest from the Reds, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
The teenager has made it clear that he would prefer a move to the latter, with the prospect of a move to the 15-time – and current – European champions just too lucrative to pass up on. However, a prospective transfer is reportedly in jeopardy due to Madrid’s unwillingness to meet Yoro’s price tag.
Madrid’s firm stance could open door for United hijack
Lille value their prospect in the region of €40 million (£33m) after initially demanding €60m (£50m), as per Mundo Deportivo. Yet, the La Liga winners are only willing to fork out £16.9m upfront while including several bonuses to take the package up to £25m, presumably due to Yoro’s age and the fact he has just one year remaining on his contract.
Their reluctance may open the door for the likes of United to throw their name into the mix and hope that they beat PSG or Liverpool to his signature.