Manchester United are pushing for another important signing just days after finalising a deal to bring in Netherlands international striker Joshua Zirkzee.
The Premier League season is now fast approaching and Manchester United have business to complete.
Erik ten Hag needs major additions this summer and will be delighted with his first signing.
Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee completed his move to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon after weeks of speculation.
Boxing off the addition of another striker to support Rasmus Hojlund is a great start for United but the attention is now turning to centre backs.
A deal for Jarrad Branthwaite looks to be unlikely now whilst progress on a move for Matthijs de Ligt has slowed – despite him wanting to join.
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Leny Yoro travelling for Manchester United medical
United’s focus at centre back in recent days has been Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro.
Reports in France last week suggested that United’s offer of around £42million had been accepted by Lille.
The problem was that Yoro has been focused on a move to Real Madrid, so United seemingly wasn’t his first choice.
Speculation over the last 24 hours has pointed towards United making progress on a deal and Yoro increasingly tempted towards Old Trafford.
A major development has now emerged as The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Yoro is now flying to the UK for a medical with United.
Personal terms are also set to be finalised, though Ornstein notes that there is ’still work to do’ – even though a deal is ‘now close’.
The deal is also much more than the £42million claimed last week, with Ornstein claiming that Lille have accepted €62million (£52million).
United are really making a push to finalise the deal for Yoro before Real Madrid can get involved again, making a potentially huge addition – if the deal can be finalised.
Yoro an enormous coup for United
Few teenagers in the European game have as much hype around them as Yoro.
The 18-year-old centre back racked up 44 appearances in all competitions last season and played far beyond his years.
A tall, elegant and quick centre back, Yoro is already playing for the France Under-21 side.
Yoro has been compared to Raphael Varane and hailed as ‘exceptional’ by advisor Cesar Arzo, with the sky seemingly the limit for the young defender.
Yoro has been tipped to become one of the best defenders in the game over the coming years and the expectation was that Real Madrid would secure his signature.
Real have been winning transfer race after transfer race in recent times; Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Endrick, Kylian Mbappe, the list goes on and on.
Few would have expected United – with no Champions League football and coming off the back of an eighth-place finish – to be able to muscle in and win this race.
Ineos appear to be edging towards a deal now, but until Yoro is pictured holding up that famous red shirt at Old Trafford, fans may well fear Real lurking in the shadows.