Leny Yoro joined Manchester United over Real Madrid this summer after being disappointed by the Spanish side’s contract offer, a report has claimed.
Yoro entered the final year of his contract with Lille and was widely expected to join Madrid after months of reports claimed he had his heart set on moving to the Santiago Bernabeu either this summer or on a free transfer.
With Madrid reluctant to meet Lille’s demands and instead banking on pressure from Yoro to lower their asking price, United swooped in and struck a £52m deal to sign the centre-back, who suffered a foot injury during his pre-season debut and has been sidelined ever since.
According to MARCA, Madrid did try to sign Yoro but challenged the 18-year-old to prove his desire to join by rejecting offers from elsewhere.
He was offered a contract worth around €2.5m (£2.1m) per season by the La Liga giants.
United, however, handed Yoro a deal worth €9.5m (£8m), which was enough to convince him to make the move to Old Trafford instead.
Madrid felt they had enough options in defence already and did not need to break their budget for Yoro, who declined their ultimatum and signed a five-year contract with United which also includes the option for a further 12 months.
Yoro has not been seen since his pre-season injury, which forced him to undergo surgery, although he was recently spotted walking without crutches as he continues to progress on his road to recovery.
What we know
- Yoro joined Man Utd from Lille earlier this summer
- Red Devils surprisingly beat Real Madrid to defender’s signature
- Report reveals reason behind Yoro’s decision.