Manchester United have made contact regarding a deal to bring a new defender to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report.
Raphael Varane exit links
In the top flight this season, Raphael Varane has fallen out of favour having made just four starts and the same number of substitute appearances (WhoScored – Varane statistics), and his situation has recently seen him attracting interest from Bayern Munich and clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
The Independent have since claimed that the Old Trafford outfit are willing to listen to offers for the centre-back during the upcoming window, so if he is to leave permanently, Erik ten Hag may look to enter the market to find a suitable replacement.
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Lille’s Leny Yoro has emerged as a potential candidate, with the 18-year-old having worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to get promoted to their first team where he’s so far made a total of 34 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Yoro statistics).
Back in October, Graeme Bailey revealed that the Red Devils, Liverpool and Chelsea were all keeping close tabs on the Frenchman, but if the following update is to be believed, it’s the former admirer who are the first to make an official move.
Man Utd make contact for Yoro
According to French outlet Le10Sport, Man United have made contact for Yoro ahead of January. Manchester City have now also entered the race to secure the services of the teenager, so Ten Hag's side could face competition.
The M16 outfit have "made a very concrete move" for their target having initiated "contact" to discover the conditions of a switch, but with Lille wanting to hand him a contract extension, this could be difficult to get over the line.
Yoro has "immense" potential to offer
Standing at 6 foot 2, Yoro provides a real physical presence at the heart of Lille’s backline which he’s proven so far this season where he’s currently averaging 3.2 clearances and 1.7 aerial wins per game in Ligue 1 (WhoScored – Yoro statistics).
The Saint-Maurice native is also extremely calm and composed on the ball, recording a 91.3% pass success rate as it stands, highlighting his ability to dictate and control the match when he has the ball at his feet, not getting pressured by the press of the opposition.
Ten Hag’s target is even capable of making an impact in the final third having scored three goals across all competitions since the start of the campaign from 18 appearances. U23 scout Antonio Mango has also had a lot to say for Yoro’s rise to prominence in France, lauding him as “immense” and dubbing him a “Rolls Royce” calibre defender.
Finally, Yoro shares the same representative, AMS Consulting, as Amad Diallo (Man United agents), so this existing connection that his management already have to the club could give the board a small advantage when trying to reach an agreement in January.
