Liverpool transfer target Leny Yoro breaks silence on fake Man Utd bid claim

Lille's Leny Yoro has slammed a bogus X (formerly Twitter) profile after the impersonator "responded" to Manchester United transfer interest. The French defender felt compelled to clear up the situation.

On Tuesday afternoon, it became known that United has stepped up its chase for the French defender, with MEN Sport reporting that Yoro's current club has accepted a bid. There's buzz from Spain indicating that while his priority might be a move to Real Madrid, Lille and the La Liga superpower are at odds over the payment structure of the deal.

The Spanish outfit is pushing for a split between upfront cash and additional clauses, which isn't sitting well with the French side, seemingly nudging the player towards Manchester. Meanwhile, Liverpool has also shown an interest in Yoro, although it is yet to table a formal bid.

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What Yoro actually decides is still up in the air, but one thing's certain: he took to social media to refute claims made by a fake account. It had posted: "I don't want you Manchester United. Leave me alone."

Yoro's rebuttal was clear as he countered: "Fake account. You guys are psycho. Signal [report] this account."

His public dismissal of the fake statement marks the first time Yoro has spoken up regarding rumored interest from Manchester United, leaving fans guessing about his real stance on joining the Red Devils. The 18-year-old is reportedly among a trio of center-backs on the radar of United for the coming summer window, reports the Manchester Evening News.

United has allegedly agreed personal terms with Matthijs de Ligt, and is hopeful of finalizing the deal with Bayern Munich. In other news, it has had two offers turned down for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite.

Liverpool.com says: Naturally, Manchester United fans are jumping to conclusions. Yoro shutting down the fake account obviously must mean he's coming to Old Trafford after all...

The reality is that Yoro is likely to be going to Real Madrid. If Liverpool gets any indication that this has changed, it will no doubt table a bid too, and can be confident of making a more compelling pitch to the center-back.

What's interesting is whether Liverpool, like Manchester United, is pursuing other center-backs at the same time. Both clubs view Yoro as a generational talent, but it's as yet unclear whether Anfield chiefs intend to strengthen the position regardless. Jarrad Branthwaite, in particular, looks like a shrewd target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co, although there would be obvious complications in joining that conversation.