Liverpool’s pursuit of Lille centre-back Leny Yoro may still be alive despite his preference for Real Madrid, with a bid from elsewhere now being accepted.
Upon the initial reports of Liverpool’s interest in Yoro it was maintained that theirs was a watching brief, in case an expected move to Real broke down.
It has been maintained that the 18-year-old – considered a generational talent following his breakthrough at Lille – has his heart set on a switch to Madrid.
But with no agreement reached between Lille and Real as of yet, there remains a chance that those waiting in the wings could swoop.
One of Liverpool’s rivals for his signature, Man United, have already made headway in that respect, with the Manchester Evening News‘ Samuel Luckhurst among those to report that their bid has been accepted.
Lille have reportedly agreed a fee of between €60 million (£50.7m) and €70 million (£59.1m) for the teenager, which sets the bar for any bid from Anfield.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the French side are “insisting with Yoro to accept Man United as it’s the best proposal on their table.”
But Yoro is still “waiting for” Madrid, with The Athletic‘s Mario Cortegana reporting that the Spanish club are “progressing in talks.”
Cortegana has given further detail when it comes to a potential fee, indicating that Lille would accept €40 million (£33.8m) plus add-ons – which seemingly could be worth anything up an additional €30 million (£25.3m).
Whether Liverpool will involve themselves in a bidding war for Yoro is unclear, with their interest believed to have been cautious rather than active.
Tuesday’s developments could suggest that there is no guarantee that Real will land the Frenchman, however, as Lille keep their options open when it comes to securing the best deal.
Arne Slot is currently working with Jarell Quansah, Sepp van den Berg, Nat Phillips and Amara Nallo as his centre-backs in pre-season.
That comes with Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez all on duty at the Euros and Joel Matip having been released upon the expiry of his contract.
Phillips is expected to be sold, with Trabzonspor already seeing their first bid turned down, while Nallo is more likely to spend the bulk of his season with the U21s.
Any movement with regards a centre-back signing could hinge on Slot’s plans for Van den Berg and any subsequent offers for the 22-year-old, who is valued at £20 million.
Fan Comments