Man Utd’s latest signing compared to current Old Trafford centre-backs, with Martinez clearly similar

In the clearest statement of intent since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took control of the club earlier this year, Manchester United have rejected rival interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool to sign Leny Yoro.

The 18-year-old Frenchman is one of the most highly-rated defensive prospects of recent years and the £52m fee, which could rise to £59m with add-ons, reflects the youngster’s sky-high potential. He has become the The sixth most expensive teenager of all time and if those conditional add-ons are activated, he will be the fourth most expensive defender in Premier League history.

“I know the history of young players at Manchester United and I feel that this could be the perfect place for me to fulfil my potential and achieve my ambitions alongside my new teammates,” said Yoro after being presented as the Red Devils’ new signing. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Since making his senior debut for Lille as a 16-year-old in May 2022, Yoro He has demonstrated all the attributes required of a top centre-back in modern football. He has quick pace, assists in recoveries and one-on-one duels. He calculates his challenges with the precision of a seasoned veteran. And at 1.90 metres tall, he is imposing in the air.

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The French Under-21 star is also a very accurate passer and confident dribbler, meaning he can play under pressure and initiate attacking moves from deep.

Understandably, given his youth, Yoro’s game is still raw, but he has all the tools to, if properly nurtured at Old Trafford, become one of the best players in the world in his position. United They seem confident that Yoro will be the foundation of their defensive line for the next decade.

However, Yoro is not all raw potential. Even at his current level, he can have a significant impact on Erik ten Hag’s team next season.

“I think Leny Yoro will be at one of the best clubs in Europe next year,” Lille manager Paulo Fonseca said of Yoro last season.

“He started here with us when he was 16. When I arrived, the main objective for him was to start working with us and play in the B team, but he played even at 16 with great maturity and great courage.

“He is very ambitious, but very disciplined and I decided to put him in the starting line-up and he immediately started getting some minutes, some matches. This year, he took on one of the main positions in our team.”

“He has grown a lot, but he is a very mature kid and, of course, a very talented player. He is very focused, very concentrated and wants to learn every day.”

“I have no doubt that he will be one of the best central defenders in the world in modern football.”

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Yoro shines with possession

Yoro started 30 Ligue 1 games last season to help Lille finish fourth and secure Champions League qualification. His quality on the ball was demonstrated by a 92.1 percent pass completion rate. According to es.fbref.comwhich placed the teenager in the 93rd percentile among central defenders in Europe’s top five leagues. It was also the fourth-highest mark of any Ligue 1 player and the best of any player outside of champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Of United’s other current options in central defence, only Lisandro Martinez – who, as a left-footer, is likely to play alongside Yoro in Ten Hag’s preferred pairing – averaged a higher pass accuracy last season, with a 92.7 per cent pass accuracy. Victor Lindelof’s pass accuracy was 88.8 per cent and Harry Maguire’s 83.5 per cent.

And Yoro’s average of 63.3 passes attempted per 90 minutes in the top flight of French football was higher than that of any of United’s other Premier League centre-backs, with Maguire the next best on 60.73.

Only Martinez (1.47 – 54th percentile) made more tackles per 90 minutes than Yoro (1.21). And only Maguire (1.33 – 72nd percentile) recorded more interceptions than the youngster (1.21).

One of the most encouraging aspects of Yoro’s statistical output last season is his success in the air. The towering teenager won 63.8 per cent of his aerial duels in Ligue 1. Only Maguire was more dominant with his head, winning 78.4 per cent of his aerial battles.

Yoro/Martinez has room to succeed

This is likely to be a particularly important part of Yoro’s game, as he adjusts to life at Old Trafford if he is to partner Martinez in defence. While the Argentine is a tenacious tackler who anticipates well and can play out from the back at a high level, at 1.7m he is limited as an aerial defender, with a success rate of just 44.4 per cent last season.

One element of Yoro’s game that Ten Hag is tasked with helping the youngster grow is his incisiveness when playing out from the back. While, as mentioned, he is a very accurate passer, he is not yet as creative or line-breaking with the ball at his feet as he is expected to be. His average of 2.29 progressive passes per 90 minutes (16th percentile) and 0.27 progressive carries (20th percentile) fell behind the other three centre-backs in United’s first team.

So there is still room for Yoro to grow and improve, but that is a scary thought for United’s Premier League rivals given how good the 18-year-old has already proven to be.

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