Man Utd to rival Liverpool & Real Madrid for Ligue 1 star - report | OneFootball

Manchester United have joined Liverpool and Real Madrid in pursuit of Lille centre-back Leny Yoro, a report has claimed.

Yoro, who does not turn 19 until November, established himself as a regular starter for Lille this season and is widely hailed as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe, with a number of top sides regularly tracking his progress.

Importantly, the teenage defender is now entering the final 12 months of his contract, making a summer exit appear even more likely.

According to MARCA, United have recently made contact with Lille and have submitted an offer which comes close to meeting Lille's asking price of €60m (£51m).

United are keen to secure Yoro's signature and fend off competition from lead suitor Real Madrid, who have made it clear that they will not pay such a significant sum for a player who is available for free next year.

Madrid have informed Yoro that he must reject offers from elsewhere and continue to push for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu either this summer or as a free agent in 2025. It is claimed that Yoro has stressed a desire to make the move to the European champions.

Yoro has made a big impression / Franco Arland/GettyImages

There is further competition for Yoro's signature from Liverpool. The Mail recently reported that Yoro is aware of interest from the Reds, before other outlets confirmed the 18-year-old is on Liverpool's radar.

L'Equipe add Paris Saint-Germain to the mix, pointing to the Ligue 1 side's desire to build a squad full of young, homegrown stars.

Former Lille boss Paulo Fonseca, whose departure from the club was confirmed earlier this week, has backed Yoro to join a top side in the near future.

"I believe Leny in the next year will be at one of the best clubs in Europe," he told BBC Sport. "He started here at 16 with us. He is very ambitious, but very disciplined.

"He grew a lot but he is a kid with a big maturity, with big quality. He's very focused, very concentrated, he wants to learn every day and I have no doubt in modern football he will be one of the best central defenders in the world."