Leny Yoro is one of the brightest defensive talents on the planet (Picture: Getty Images)
Liverpool were interested in Leny Yoro before he signed for Manchester United, but were put off by his request for guaranteed game time.
The 18-year-old defender has moved to Old Trafford from Lille in a £52m deal, with the Red Devils also beating Real Madrid to the signing.
It has been reported that the Reds pulled out of the race for Yoro because it appeared that he was set on a move to Real Madrid, but that is not the only reason.
The Athletic report that the teenager wanted guarantees over playing time and Liverpool were not prepared to make him any promises.
New manager Arne slot has Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez at his disposal and could not guarantee that the new signing was going to play on a regular basis with all those options in central defence.
With just 60 first team games under his belt for Lille, the Merseyside club also saw Yoro as a prospect for years to come rather than a player to put straight into the first team.
On top of these reasons, Liverpool were not ready to spend the kind of money Manchester United have spent on the young defender, with the Red Devils’ deal likely to reach around £59m with add-ons.
Leny Yoro was unveiled as a Manchester United player on Thursday (Picture: Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain were also interested in the France Under-21 international, so it is a serious coup for Manchester United to get their man.
The Red Devils have paid a huge amount for the teenager, while the Athletic reports that the financial package for Yoro at Old Trafford has ‘raised eyebrows’ at Real Madrid as they would have been unwilling to offer the same amount.
Speaking of his move to England, Yoro said: ‘Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Man Utd so early in my career is an incredible honour.
‘Since my conversations with the club, they set our 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.
‘I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new teammates I cannot wait to get started.’
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