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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim appears to be a huge admirer of Leny Yoro.
Yoro made his senior debut at just 16 years old and by 17 he had cemented himself as one of the best central defenders in Ligue 1. His throwback style of defending, physicality, and astute reading of the game drew comparisons to Virgil van Dijk.
Not many expected United, who had no Champions League football to offer, to beat Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, to the signing of the generational French talent.
However, Ineos underlined their ambitious plans for United by swiftly agreeing a fee of €62 million, plus a potential €8m in add-ons with Lille.
Accordingly, Yoro arrived amid much fanfare and showed a glimpse of his potential in pre-season. However, he suffered a foot injury against Arsenal during the pre-season tour and was sidelined for a lengthy period.
The 19-year-old didn’t play a single minute of competitive football under Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag’s successor, Amorim handed the youngster his United debut against the same opposition during mid-week.
The Red Devils lost 2-0 to Arsenal, but Yoro’s encouraging cameo in the second half in north London highlighted why he was being chased by top sides during the summer. His new boss is also believed to be a huge fan of his skill sets.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Yoro “will be crucial part of Rúben Amorim’s project.”
The Italian journalist further added that “even during talks before joining United” the former Sporting CP manager and his coaching staff mentioned the centre-back, labelling his signing as “smart”. The ex-Lille star is considered the “ideal player to sign” by everyone at the club.
🔴🇫🇷 Leny Yoro made his debut for Man United last night… and will be crucial part of Rúben Amorim’s project.
In every internal meeting, even during talks before joining United, Amorim and his staff mentioned Leny as crucial player and smart signing.
His game time will be… pic.twitter.com/XVcUeZSccn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2024
Despite the hype, Amorim is understood to be keen on carefully managing his gametime to avoid any injury in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see how the United gaffer would use him during busy December schedule.
The Portuguese tactician’s 3-4-3 formation could get the best out of Yoro, who has mobility and positional awareness to defend wide areas as the right-sided defender in the back three.
Further, he is also composed in possession — a key ability for Amorim, as he likes to use his defenders to progress the play from deep.
Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images
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