Liverpool look set to miss out on a top transfer target with Leny Yoro on the verge of joining Manchester United.
The Reds could possibly do with adding a centre-back to their squad this summer and Yoro had seemed like a prime candidate.
The 18-year-old has broken through at Lille over the past year-and-a-half to be regarded as a ‘generational’ talent within the game.
As a result, Yoro was said to be a ‘dream’ target for Liverpool. However, there was a problem. Yoro wanted to join Real Madrid and that’s where he looked likely to end up.
On Wednesday, that all changed. After coming to an agreement with Lille, Man United are close to signing Yoro.
Why Liverpool didn’t sign Leny Yoro
Although Madrid had looked like Yoro’s most likely destination, it had been reported that Liverpool would stay in the mix until that had become a certainty.
Liverpool were hanging in there for Yoro in the hope that the Frenchman would change his mind and be open to other possibilities.
After that exact scenario played out and the Reds chose not to push hard to get Yoro anyway, supporters have been left asking questions.
Thankfully, the Liverpool ECHO have been on hand to outline exactly why Liverpool stayed out of the fight for one of Europe’s most promising centre-backs.
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They claim that although Liverpool ‘are not averse’ to bringing in another defender this summer, they are not desperate to do so.
With Yoro’s price-tag said to be around £52m, it’s claimed that the Reds ‘could not justify’ spending such a big fee on a player who may not be first-choice next season.
So, it’s claimed that ultimately there are two reasons Liverpool chose not to intervene on Yoro. The first, as it often is, is money. Real Madrid weren’t prepared to match United’s over to Lille and Liverpool reportedly weren’t either.
The second is said to be ‘opportunity.’ The Reds didn’t believe they could guarantee that Yoro would have the chances in the first-team that his fee demanded, United supposedly could.
Were Liverpool right to walk away from Leny Yoro?
There will be plenty of Liverpool supporters who will not have been pleased by their club’s position regarding Yoro.
And, in some ways, we can definitely get onboard with that. Although £52m is indeed a big price for an 18-year-old, it’s arguably still great value for how good Yoro could become.
The signing would also obviously be a long-term one. They may not have been able to commit to Yoro being a starter in the immediate future, but he almost certainly would be in a year or two.
Liverpool are often said to be looking for ‘opportunities’ in the transfer window and it’s hard to see a better one than this coming along.
Let’s hope that they don’t regret allowing their arch rivals a completely free run at one of the best talents in the game. Unfortunately, we’ve got a feeling they just might.
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