It may be a little quiet around Manchester United right now – both in terms of Erik ten Hag’s future and their pursuit of new signings – but make no mistake.
Like a swan going for an early morning swim on the nearby pond, the Red Devils may look leisurely on the surface but, underneath, their feet are paddling fast.
As laid out by the always-reliable Muppetiers YouTube channel, Manchester United are still working through their options as far as Ten Hag’s future is concerned, making contact with potential replacements to ensure that – if the Dutchman does go – the FA Cup winners will not be left without a successor ready to take his spot in the dugout.
Man United have also to have touched base with a number of central defensive targets. Jarrad Branthwaite, Jean-Clair Todibo and Goncalo Inacio are among those those most frequently mentioned, and all three feel at least attainable.
After years of leaks and speculation, radio silence is not necessarily a bad thing. It does not mean Man United are not working on new signings, just that they are doing so in a far more cloak-and-dagger approach than previously.
Manchester United reportedly make Leny Yoro offer
Leny Yoro, in contrast to Todibo and co, is a bit of a long shot. Real Madrid have been touted as the Lille defender’s preferred destination. That has not stopped Manchester United from trying, however, Marca reporting that the Premier League giants have now put ‘a proposal on the table’.
Lille want £51 million for the teenager, despite the fact that Yoro’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2025.
Marca adds that United are ‘willing’ to stump up a fee in the region of 60 million euros, perhaps feeling that Yoro – despite his lack of experience and his precarious contract situation – is an opportunity too good to miss out on.
Yoro may have placed Champions League holders Real Madrid at the top of his list of priorities but Marca do little to dispel the notion that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have reservations about the size of the 18-year-old’s price-tag.
Real have already brought in Kylian Mbappe. The former PSG talisman technically a free-agent but reportedly handed a staggering 125 million euros signing on bonus (The Guardian). A deal for Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies would also eat up a sizeable chunk of Los Blancos’ budget.
Yoro could be Raphael Varane’s Old Trafford replacement
A right-footed, 6ft 4ins Frenchman, comparisons have understandably been drawn between Yoro and Raphael Varane. Man United have already confirmed that the 2018 World Cup winner will leave Old Trafford this summer, and the similarities between both players has Yoro looking like a potentially readymade successor.
Yoro ranked right at the top of the European charts for ‘duels won’ at one point last season, despite beginning the campaign as a 17-year-old with barely a shred of first-team experience under his belt.
“He is a very strong, fast and, above all, an intelligent player. Even so, I think he has a lot of room for improvement. He has incredible potential,” Cesar Arzo, who played in Spain with Villarreal, tells Marca of Yoro.
“In addition to the aerial game, which he masters perfectly for how young he is, I would say that he is a footballer who adapts to any situation. Any phase and any moment. His performances throughout the season have been very good. Exceptional.
“The first time I saw him, he seemed like the portrait of Raphael Varane. The same attitude, the same maturity at the same age, the same size. Kids like that are a blessing. Yoro is very similar to Varane.
“That top speed that he shows in every game… Technically, he has very good movement,” Arzo adds. “Furthermore, he does not lose duels. It may be creating too many expectations, but he has certain similarities, in terms of physiognomy and physical power, with (Virgil) Van Dijk.”