Man Utd, Liverpool battle for £80m Ligue 1 star prompts stern response from club president

Manchester United and Liverpool may find it tough to sign rising Lille star Leny Yoro this year, as the French club are determined to keep him at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Both Man Utd and Liverpool are known to be in the market for a new centre-back. Man Utd could lose Raphael Varane this summer, which would open up space in the squad for a new defender to arrive and compete with Harry Maguire for the spot next to Lisandro Martinez.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a composed star who can become Virgil van Dijk’s eventual heir and go on to form a solid partnership with Ibrahima Konate.

The two Premier League giants have been linked with Yoro, the 18-year-old who is enjoying a breakout campaign at Lille.

After making 15 appearances last term, the teenager has since managed to force his way into the starting eleven and has already played 24 times this season, chipping in with three goals too.

Despite his tender age, Yoro is a very confident player who excels at building up play from the back and can play comfortably on either foot.

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It is therefore no surprise that Man Utd and Liverpool, as well as some of the other biggest clubs in Europe, are keeping tabs on his development.

Providing an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Man Utd have begun monitoring Yoro. Although, major European sides Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the mix.

Man Utd, Liverpool target ‘will not move in January’

But Lille’s president, Olivier Letang, is not happy with the amount of speculation surrounding the club’s latest starlet.

In an interview with Le Parisien, the chief said: “Yoro will not leave in January, so there are no negotiations, no discussions, contrary to what some suggest.

“I read somewhere that I had set a price, which is completely false.”

It was recently suggested that Lille will demand around £80million for their academy graduate, though it seems such reports are wide of the mark.

Man Utd and Liverpool are aiming to sign a new centre-back in the summer, rather than during January. But with Letang holding firm, it looks like they will struggle to strike an agreement for Yoro even at the end of the season.

As a result, Erik ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp should start to prioritise moves for other defenders.

Man Utd are known to be big admirers of Jean-Clair Todibo, who plays for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s other club, Nice. And Todibo should be available for £45-50m, far less than Yoro.

Liverpool have recently been linked with a big-money move for Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande, though Romano has cast doubt over that particular move.

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