Liverpool can justify a $68 million transfer request because it already has its own Leny Yoro

Leny Yoro’s transfer has not gone to Real Madrid or Liverpool. Manchester United emerged victorious in the contest after Lille accepted a $68 million deal a few days prior.

Leny Yoro, a talented young centre back from France, has finally found a home at Manchester United. Real Madrid and Liverpool both expressed interest, but the Old Trafford team managed to complete an unexpected transfer.

It’s been suggested that Lille didn’t want to lose Yoro for nothing when his contract ended the following summer. His options were restricted because Manchester United was the only team to submit a bid.

Real Madrid and Liverpool both felt that Real Madrid would win the race, and neither team was willing to spend anywhere close to the $68 million (£52 million/€62 million) that Manchester United had agreed to pay as a down payment. When add-ons are taken into account, the price is much higher.

But there is no denying that Erik ten Hag has pulled off a significant coup with Yoro. “Generational talent” is what Manchester United signed, according to numerous sources. PSG, Real Madrid, and Liverpool were among his greatest admirers for a cause.

But in the end, Manchester United was the team most in need of a centre defender, even though they were prepared to go above and beyond what any other bidder for Yoro was willing to offer. Only once, for Virgil van Dijk, has Liverpool ever paid more than $68 million for a defender.

At Anfield, Arne Slot already has four centre backs to choose from. Although there are certain problems with each, Liverpool already has its own Yoro thanks to Jarell Quansah’s arrival last season.

Quansah is playing well beyond his years and still has plenty of good seasons ahead of him; his ceiling is just as high as Yoro’s. Richard Hughes and company found it less enticing to invest a significant amount of money on a player like that than on their Old Trafford rivals because he is also a Premier League veteran who came through the Reds’ youth and cost them nothing.

Yoro would have been seen by Real Madrid and Liverpool as a long-term project who could be incorporated throughout the upcoming campaigns. But the 18-year-old will have to start quickly at Old Trafford due to a lack of other talented players. Both the challenge and the money will have been appealing.

That might also be reflected in Yoro’s pay package. After bonuses are taken into account, Manchester United is reportedly going to pay the teenager about $188k (£145k/€172k) every week. This information comes from Sky Germany. Only a select few of Liverpool’s key players receive salaries that high.

As of right moment, only Manchester United is prepared to pay Yoro a high salary and make the large financial commitment to make him a regular starter right away. That is why INEOS has emerged victorious in the player competition; even with Yoro’s brilliance, more will be required for INEOS to close the gap between the Old Trafford team and the very best.