Leny Yoro confirms two ex-Manchester United stars convinced him to sign over Real Madrid

Leny Yoro has confirmed that two former Manchester United stars convinced him to sign for the Old Trafford club over Real Madrid.

After a 2023/24 season in which they conceded over eighty goals across all competitions and finished eighth in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag and his team have been actively seeking centre-back reinforcements.

Manchester United made a bold move for highly-rated 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro, who was on the verge of joining Real Madrid.

Read More: Manchester United’s “star player” to shine next season for two reasons, says ex-defender

On Thursday evening, the club announced that it had successfully persuaded Yoro to sign a five-year contract until 2029, with an option for an additional year.

Yoro played his first minutes for United on Saturday afternoon during a 2-0 win over Rangers in a pre-season friendly and will fly with the squad to the USA on Wednesday.

Speaking to the club, he revealed that former United academy star Angel Gomes, who was a teammate of his at Lille, spoke to him a lot about United, helping to convince him to choose Old Trafford over Real Madrid.

“We spoke a lot about United,” Yoro confessed to club media during his first official interview. “He just told me this is the biggest club in the world. You know, the fans, even the way to play, the training camp, everything is really big, is really incredible. 

“So, yeah, every day I spoke with him about this, and it helped me a lot to come here. He’s really happy for me. He sent me a message directly [after the transfer was completed].”

However, Gomes is not the only ex-United player that helped him make up his mind. Yoro revealed that Rio Ferdinand, a United legend, also held private conversations with him ahead of the move.

“I don’t even know if I can explain this guy, but he’s a top defender, a really good guy because I had the chance to meet him, and yeah, he is a really nice guy, top defender,” Yoro explained when asked about Ferdinand.

Further, Yoro clarified that he meant he had not met Ferdinand in person but had spoken to him a number of times during the transfer market before his move to United.

“I just called him, but I hope to meet him soon, but yeah I already spoke with him, he’s a really nice guy. During the transfer market, he helped me a lot to make my choice (to sign for United). He explained to me how big United is, so yeah, it was really good for me.”

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