Rio Ferdinand is known to be a firm champion of Manchester United’s Leny Yoro, and feels that only four Premier League centre-backs outclass him.
Manchester United secured Leny Yoro from Lille in a high-profile move last summer, with the teenager hailed as one of the finest young defenders in world football.
Although United have faced challenges since his arrival, the French centre-back has continued to develop and is now seen as one of Rúben Amorim’s standout players.
His strong performances recently earned him a call-up to France’s U21 squad, with some even arguing he is ready for a place in the senior team.
Yoro gained valuable experience on Monday evening, playing the opening 45 minutes in a 3-0 victory over Serbia, further underlining his progress.
Ferdinand holds Yoro in high regard
Rio Ferdinand is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest centre-backs, having won six league titles with United, forming a formidable partnership with Nemanja Vidic.
The 46-year-old is also well known for his good eye for spotting young defensive talent, and has always been a steadfast believer in United’s Yoro, who signed for £52 million from Lille in the summer of 2024.
Speaking recently with GOAL, Ferdinand admitted that he only sees four other Premier League centre-backs as currently better than the 19-year-old. When asked to do a “winner stays on” for Premier League centre-backs, Ferdinand picked Yoro over both Jarrad Branthwaite and Marc Guehi.
He then conceded that Manchester City’s Joško Gvardiol may be better now, but that Yoro has a higher ceiling. Following that, Arsenal’s Gabriel then surpassed Gvardiol, and then the Brazilian was replaced by William Saliba. Finally, he picked Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk over the rest.
In the end, Ferdinand only sees Gvardiol, Gabriel, Saliba, and Van Dijk as superior to Yoro, which is a huge compliment and testament to his abilities. Considering the teenager is still developing, it also speaks to the future heights Yoro can reach.
Ferdinand clearly doesn’t see value in Branthwaite transfer
According to recent reports, United have reignited their interest in Everton centre-back Branthwaite, and are readying a possible £60 million bid to reinforce their options in January.
However, with Ferdinand clearly seeing Yoro as a step up over Branthwaite, signing the England U21s international for £60 million may not be a suitable move in the former Reds defender’s eyes.
Branthwaite is no doubt a talented centre-back, and being left-footed, could be a tidy extra topion for the left centre-back slot under AMorim.
However, with Lisanro Martínez close to returning from injury, Ayden Heaven continuing to develop, and Yoro also known to be a good option on the left, that £60 million could be better spent elsewhere, such as on signing a defensive midfielder or a back-up striker.
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