'He will be one of the very best' - Why Man Utd signed Yoro

French football expert James Eastham gives a detailed account of what Leny Yoro will bring to Manchester United.

Player analysis - Leny Yoro (Man Utd)

If there’s one type of player France has specialised in producing for the Premier League in recent seasons, it’s a highly talented centre-back.

The latest example is the immensely promising Yoro, the tall, rangy defender that has completed his move from Ligue 1 side Lille to Man Utd.

Following in the footsteps of Arsenal’s William Saliba, as well as Chelsea trio Axel Disasi, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, 18-year-old Yoro has made the same journey across the Channel – and boasts the potential to emulate the best of his compatriots.

Impressing early

Yoro grew up in Lille and joined the club’s youth academy, where his defensive anticipation, athleticism and calmness on and off the ball stood out among his peers.

He moved as smoothly towards the first team as he does across the pitch. He impressed his coaches and made his league debut for Lille at just 16-and-a-half – some months younger than Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, Lille’s greatest academy graduate, was when he had made his debut in this patch of north-east France.

If 16 sounds young to play as a defender in one of Europe’s top five leagues, that’s because it is – yet Lille boss Paulo Fonseca felt he had no choice.

Such was the quality and composure Yoro showed after being invited to train with the first team, his promotion into the side became inevitable. After a breakout 2022/23, he became an automatic choice last season.

“It’s so rare to find a player aged just 18 with the maturity and technical qualities he has,” Fonseca, now in charge at AC Milan, told French sports newspaper L’Equipe last year. “For me, he will be one of the very best centre-backs, a top-class player, no doubt about it.”

There was praise from some of Yoro’s high-profile Lille team-mates, including former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb and Canada international striker Jonathan David, too, while France’s age-group coaches were similarly taken aback by him.

Yoro has made appearances for his country at Under-17, Under-18, Under-19 and now at Under-23 level, adapting to the standards whenever a new challenge has been set for him.

“His anticipation is very good, he reads the game excellently, he’s good in the air and plays the ball out from the back well,” France U-19 coach Lionel Rouxel told L’Equipe last year. “There’s room to improve his first touch, carrying the ball out from the back and that first key pass in the infield and down the wing. There’s more to come in terms of his long passing game, too.”

Some of that more to come was on show in 2023/24. Across 30 starts in Ligue 1 last season, Yoro added a touch of aggression to his customary calmness, while exhibiting a growing sureness in the way he used the ball. Standing at 6ft 3in tall, he continued to impress in the air, winning 67.86 per cent of his duels.

Lille finished in fourth last season, with Yoro arguably their best performer. He earned a place on the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year five-man shortlist, while also being named alongside PSG and Brazil's Marquinhos as one of the centre-backs in Ligue 1’s Team of the Season.

Aside from his innate ability, it’s the progress Yoro has made over the past couple of years that has encouraged Man Utd to sign him.

The individual plaudits he won last season are a clear indication that he’s already performing at a high level, and United are confident the teenager has the desire and attitude, plus capacity to learn, adapt and improve, to become an even more accomplished defender in the years ahead.

As Man Utd sporting director Dan Ashworth put it when the club completed the signing: “Leny possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back. Having had such an excellent start to his career, we are excited to support him in reaching his immense potential here at Manchester United.

“This club has a fantastic record of developing young players, whether homegrown or brought in from elsewhere, and giving them the required guidance, time and patience to grow and flourish.”

Patience may be the key word. For all the amazing strides Yoro has made, a player’s trajectory is rarely linear. There will be ups and downs as he adjusts to his new surroundings, life in a new country and the increased scrutiny that comes from turning out in the colours of one of the world’s greatest clubs.

Lille fans will be disappointed they didn’t get to see their star graduate playing for them for a little longer. Yet the path Yoro has taken is one they recognise.

A long and impressive list of players have thrilled Lille followers before moving to the Premier League. Recent examples include Gabriel (to Arsenal), Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion), Amadou Onana (Everton), Sven Botman (Newcastle United) and Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal).

United followers will be encouraged that Gabriel and Botman appear on the roll-call. The pair's presence suggests that centre-backs that do well at Lille tend to shine in the Premier League.

Now it’s Yoro’s turn. No one knows what the future holds, but the signs are good. He’s a terrific prospect, and with the tremendous support he'll enjoy, there’s every chance he’ll succeed.

James Eastham (@james_eastham) is a freelance journalist specialising in French football.