Manchester United are nearing an agreement to sign Leny Yoro, with the Lille defender traveling to the UK for a medical, according to reports.
United are aiming to acquire at least one new center-back this summer, with the 18-year-old among their targets, alongside Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
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Reportedly, United’s €50 million (£42.2m) offer for Yoro has been accepted by Lille, though the Premier League club faced stiff competition from Real Madrid.
It is believed that Yoro preferred a move to Madrid this summer, but the Champions League holders did not match United’s offer, with their highest bid being €20m (£16.8m).
In contrast, United’s proposal included €50m (£42.2m) upfront plus an additional €12m (£10m) in add-ons.
According to The Athletic, Yoro has now ‘warmed to the idea’ of joining United and is traveling to Manchester with his family to undergo a medical and finalize his contract.
Yoro will be United’s second signing of the summer, following their £36.5 million deal for Joshua Zirkzee last week.
United have had two bids rejected by Everton for Branthwaite, the latest being £45m plus an additional £5m in add-ons.
Everton reportedly value the 22-year-old at closer to £70m and are unwilling to sell for less.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are not ruling out the possibility of selling De Ligt following United’s recent approach for the Netherlands international.
‘The transfer period is still long,’ Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund said on Tuesday.
‘We currently have a very, very good squad. We cannot rule out whether anything will change then – including some who could leave the club. There is a lot of speculation at the moment, but we cannot say more about it at the moment.’
