Man Utd aware of Yoro’s ‘issue’ but ‘firm belief’ saw Ratcliffe ‘press ahead’ with ‘rare opportunity’
Manchester United were reportedly aware of Leny Yoro’s injury ‘issue’ when he signed for the club but they still ‘pressed ahead’ with the transfer.
Earlier this summer, the Red Devils pulled off a major coup to sign the 18-year-old from Ligue Un outfit Lille for an initial fee of around £52m.
Yoro is considered one of the best young defenders in the world and he was initially expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2025 when his previous contract at Lille expired.
The teenager’s career at Man Utd has got off to a miserable start as he picked up a foot injury during a pre-season friendly against Arsenal.
Yoro is set to be out for three months, but Man Utd have cover in defence following the summer arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich for around £60m combined.
Regarding Yoro, Man Utd initially attempted to keep his injury a ‘secret’ and they reportedly had two reasons for doing this.
‘Yoro is regarded as the shining symbol of the new ownership, so his absence, which the club expect to extend to around three months, punctures the optimism significantly.
‘Only after Yoro was videoed on crutches and wearing a protective boot, and reports emerged, did United communicate the prognosis.
‘Attempting to keep his injury secret was also due to ongoing negotiations for other targets.’
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A new report from The Athletic claims ‘Yoro was known to have a potential metatarsal issue in his foot upon arrival, but United took a long-term view on the 18-year-old defender’. They explain.
‘That is all the more apparent with Yoro, because medical scans showed a possible metatarsal issue when he joined last month from French top-flight club Lille.
‘Executives pressed ahead with the signing anyway, due to a firm belief the 18-year-old defender will be a top player for United for the next decade.’
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‘It was seen as a rare opportunity to capture one of Europe’s highly-regarded young players, ahead of Real Madrid, as the fee (a potential €70million; £59.8m/$76.8m) demonstrates.
‘United handled Yoro carefully and he trained in only 50 per cent of their sessions, but he suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal (on the outside) of his left foot in his second game for the club, against Arsenal in Los Angeles on that U.S. tour.
‘Yoro chose to stay with his new team-mates until the trip was over, and he had surgery once back in England. There is an estimate of three months’ rehabilitation, but he will not be rushed.
‘United had not expected him, as a teenager, to play every week in the Premier League to start with anyway, which is why signing another centre-back (which turned out to be De Ligt) as well was always on the agenda.’
