A new report has unearthed the reasons why Liverpool decided not to compete with Manchester United for Leny Yoro.
After weeks of speculation, it was announced on Thursday night that young French defender Yoro had completed a £52 million move from Lille to United.
After securing his move to Old Trafford, the 18-year-old spoke to the club’s official website. He said: “Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour.
“Since my first conversations with the club, they set out 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.”
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Prior to his move to United, Yoro was heavily linked with Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid and Premier League side Liverpool were also reportedly interested.
It was later revealed that Liverpool and Madrid had stepped away from the race, paving the way for United to seal the deal.
Now, the reasons behind Liverpool’s decision to step aside in the race for Yoro have been reported by journalist David Lynch.
It is believed that Liverpool felt a transfer fee of over £50 million for an 18-year-old with just one year left on his contract was excessive.
In addition, the report stated: “The Reds were also put off by the fact that Yoro has just 60 senior appearances to his name, well below the usual threshold they feel can mitigate against transfer risk.
“What’s more, the £150,000-per-week pay packet the defender has been handed by United could not have been justified at Anfield given it would have put him immediately among the club’s top earners.”
With the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah already at their disposal, Liverpool ultimately felt Yoro was not the right man to purchase.
Topics: Liverpool, Manchester United, Football
Marcus Chan