Leny Yoro transfer prediction speaks volumes as Liverpool and Man Utd both eye deal

Liverpool is not the only club that believes Lille starlet Leny Yoro to be one to watch in the future. The 18-year-old is one of the most highly-rated young defenders around but the Reds also think that he will be heading to Real Madrid.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Yoro's camp has given 'priority' to Los Blancos amid interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, PSG and others. And given that is the case, it seems unlikely that the Reds will get a deal for the center-back over the line.

It should be no surprise that there is interest from the biggest clubs in Europe, though. Yoro has been a regular in Ligue 1 this season despite his tender years and is someone playing at a high level even as a teenager. That is a big tick in the box of any team with a sensible recruitment policy.

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Virgil van Dijk 'meeting', Joao Neves 'priority', Leny Yoro latest

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk's Cristiano Ronaldo snub could prove awkward after Liverpool transfer 'approach'

"To me the players don't have age, they have quality," his manager, Paulo Fonseca, told BBC Sport in April. "Because here we don't have the possibility to buy very expensive players, we find a way to make the young players grow. I believe Leny in the next year will be at one of the best clubs in Europe. He started here at 16 with us. He is very ambitious, but very disciplined.

"He grew a lot but he is a kid with a big maturity, with big quality. He's very focused, very concentrated, he wants to learn every day and I have no doubt in modern football he will be one of the best central defenders in the world. You have some players like Leny, you see immediately the quality, the bravery, the courage. The intelligence is important."

Liverpool.com says: That prediction tells you everything you need to know about Yoro's future in the game and how valued he is at Lille. With a price tag north of $60m, he will not be cheap but could still be a bargain. It appears that he has all the tools required to be a defender at the very top level amid comparisons to Raphael Varane.

Real Madrid has a knack of picking up the best talents around, though, having beaten Liverpool to Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham in the past. Yoro could be another that Liverpool identifies as being ideal for the present and the future only to find that the Bernabeu side has come to the same conclusion.