Real Madrid Are Leading The Race For This Ligue 1 Defender: What Will He Bring To The Bernabeu? | OneFootball

In a recent report, The Athletic revealed that Real Madrid are leading the race for Lille defender Leny Yoro. It has been mentioned that Los Blancos are facing competition in the form of Liverpool and Manchester United in the race to land the French centre-back this summer.

The 18-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign at the French club as he put in a lot of impressive displays at the centre of their defence. Yoro made 44 appearances for Lille last season, netting three goals in all competitions.

The French talent has been a decent performer when defending inside his half based on his average of 1.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.0 clearances per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from the back, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 92.2% in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the French club will expire in the summer of 2025 which could open the door for the Madrid giants to recruit him on a cut-price deal later this year.

Lille’s French defender Leny Yoro heads the ball during the French L1 football match between Lille LOSC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France on March 10, 2023. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP) (Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)

What Will Yoro Bring To Real Madrid?

Yoro loves a tackle and can time his challenges well to earn the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and can use his robust 1.90m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air.

The French prospect is even proficient at playing his way out from the back. We can expect him to bring more bite and steel to Real Madrid‘s backline. He might even help Los Blancos compete for a lot of major honours in the long run.

At 18, Yoro has the potential to be a future star in European football. Therefore, it makes sense for the Madrid giants to engineer a move for him before the end of this summer transfer window. He is good enough to be a success story at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium over the next decade. However, Carlo Ancelotti would have to be patient with his development before he can unlock the best out of the gifted defender in the future.