Leny Yoro has broken his silence on how he feels following a change in his Manchester United position, and it speaks volumes about his abilities as a centre-back.
Leny Yoro’s transfer to Manchester United was one of the biggest coups of the transfer window, as the Old Trafford club beat out competition from Real Madrid to sign the young star.
Although he signed for United in July for a fee of around £52 million, it had felt for months prior to his move that he was destined to sign for Los Blancos, who viewed the Frenchman as a future world-class defender.
But, with United being smart in negotiations with both his former side LOSC Lille and the player himself, Omar Berrada and club legend Rio Ferdinand played a huge part in getting the deal over the line.
Although Yoro initially suffered a foot fracture that ruled him out for just over four months while on pre-season, he has since grown into his own under Rúben Amorim.
Yoro opens up on recent position change
After starting life under Amorim as a right-sided centre-back, an injury to Lisandro Martínez earlier this year forced the French defender to switch to the left of United’s back three. Despite initial fears that it may be too much for Yoro to handle, he has excelled in the position.
One performance that was of particular note was against Ipswich last month, where he was fantastic on the left of the back three, truly cementing himself as the best option for the position with Martínez unavailable.
While Yoro had previously spoken about how he enjoys playing on the left, this was before he had to face the challenge at United. Speaking to club media, he was asked which side he preferred, to which he explained that he no longer had a preference.
“Honestly, I like both, you know,” Yoro explained. “On the left, I can go ahead with the ball, and in the right… Of course, in the left, sometimes you need to use more your left foot, but… It’s not really a problem for me, so… I feel good in both.”
Further, Yoro was asked what he feels his “greatest strength” is, to which he replied: “I would say the anticipation of the game, have a good speed too, and can be good with the ball.”
Yoro’s answer speaks volumes about his abilities
Yoro has been long-compared to French defending legend Raphaël Varane, who departed United last summer and chose to retire later in the year.
While the comparisons were initially thought to be purely down to Yoro’s lanky frame and speed, they actually run much deeper. As the 19-year-old highlighted, he feels he has good anticipation, which was a key skill Varane possessed in his playing days.
Yoro being comfortable playing in both positions despite his young age is a testament to his already fantastic talent and continual growing abilities as a centre-back both in a back two and a back three.
The club are hoping that their £52 million investment in the teenager will pay off over the next few seasons, and should United build themselves to be a successful team under Amorim, Yoro could be part of that defense for the next decade.
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