Man Utd’s £52million star can be like a ‘new signing’ for Ruben Amorim in the summertime
Leny Yoro has made 12 starts for Manchester United this season but has been restricted to just four full 90 minutes – and he will hope for better luck with injury and form next season
When Leny Yoro signed for Manchester United over Real Madrid this summer, he likely thought he’d be fast-tracked to stardom at Old Trafford.
The then 18-year-old was tipped as a generational talent and while he might have been eased into the squad at the Bernabeu, the Red Devils had him pegged for immediate impact.
That’s why they splashed out a cool £52m to Lille, leaving Real Madrid in the dust and securing what seemed like a one-horse race for his signature.
“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” Yoro gushed.
“Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family.”
He might’ve seen more game time in Madrid. Between United’s rough patch and a few knocks, Yoro’s only managed to play the full 90 minutes four times this season, with 21 appearances and just 12 starts under his belt, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Meanwhile, Real’s been dealing with a defensive injury nightmare, shoving midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni into the backline alongside Raul Asencio, who’s had such a meteoric rise he snagged his first Spain cap this month.
When he signed, the buzzword from his own lips was “develop,” and this season is shaping up to be a real learning curve.
Yoro has shown glimpses of the talent that had Dan Ashworth raving about him as “one of the most exciting young defenders in world football” with “every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back.”
There is still time for Yoro, to live up to the hype – and with more game time next season he will almost be like a new signing for the Red Devils.
Yoro has suffered a number of injuries this season – and a knock against Arsenal has kept him sidelined alongside fellow youngster Ayden Heaven.
Both would do well from a solid pre-season with the gaffer from Portugal, especially since they’ve been honing their skills in a back four.
Shifting to a back three means tweaking their game – think spacing and hugging the touchline defence. But with their class and slick passing, they’re tipped to ace the transition.
Amorim certainly isn’t short of choices for his back three when all players are fit. Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt seem like solid picks, with Yoro, Heaven, Noussair Mazraoui, and Luke Shaw likely to be on standby.
