Leny Yoro almost became a Liverpool player before he chose to join Manchester United.
The youngster had been scouted by both clubs for a fairly long time before he eventually chose to make the move to Old Trafford.
Since then, Yoro has managed to overcome a massive injury and is now finally living up to the expectations that everyone had for him last season.
However, things could have been massively different for the young Frenchman if he had chosen to make the move to Anfield instead.
Ben Jacobs says Liverpool said Leny Yoro would have to develop for another two years
Throughout most of the 2023-24 season, Yoro was expected to join Liverpool.
In the end, this never came to fruition, and Liverpool ended up sticking with the options they already had.
Arne Slot did eventually get the young centre-back he desired in Giovanni Leoni during the 2025-26 season, but he’s now been ruled out until the end of the campaign due to an ACL tear.
However, before a move for another centre-back was even discussed, journalist Ben Jacobs shared what the Reds said to Yoro and why he eventually chose to join Man United over Slot’s men.
“He didn’t go to Liverpool, but it’s fascinating because the Man United pitch was ‘if you join us you’re playing every week, you’re going to be an instant hit,'” he said on The United Stand Podcast.
“You’re going to be chucked straight in at the deep end. They did that. He got injured instantly, and he’s still kind of growing into that role and that ability to start week in week out.
“Liverpool said to Yoro, ‘If we sign you, you’re going to have to be patient for two years. Not because we don’t rate you and not because we’re stifling you, but we think you need two full years of development in training and to be eased in.’
“And that’s what’s going to make you a generational talent. Man United’s approach was more chuck him in at the deep end and see what happens.
“And I actually think that has set him back a little bit. So what’s going to happen is in the next six months or year and a half, Yoro, if he can stay fit, will suddenly become that generational talent, but it’s taken him a little bit more time.
“So Man United won the race by playing a bit to the sort of player’s ego of you’ll be far more regular than at Anfield.
“But I actually think Liverpool’s pitch for his development might have been the more sensible one.”
Liverpool will be far better off with Giovanni Leoni than they would have been with Leny Yoro
At the time, Liverpool missing out on Yoro and even Dean Huijsen felt like massive blows.
However, now that the Reds have managed to acquire the services of Leoni, it actually feels like they got the better end of the stick.
Indeed, Leoni has been ruled out for most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season, but upon his return, he’ll no doubt show why Liverpool chose to spend the big bucks to bring him in.
He may have only played 81 minutes of football for the Anfield outfit so far, but even just in that time, it’s clear that Liverpool have an impressive talent on their hands.
Next season will likely be the best time for Leoni to prove his worth, especially with Virgil van Dijk’s contract set to expire in the summer.
And, even though Yoro may have an extra season of development on the Italian, the fact that he’s already 6’4 and looks extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, outlines how good a move signing the centre-back could end up being for the Reds.
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