Manchester United on verge of major coup in £58.8m deal for teenager Leny Yoro

Manchester United were on the verge of signing Leny Yoro on Wednesday night in a projected £58.8 million deal from Lille after seeing off Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris St-Germain for the highly rated young centre-half’s signature.

Yoro, 18, flew to Manchester on Wednesday morning to undergo a medical ahead of signing a five-year contract with United to June 2029, with the option of a further year.

Barring any dramatic late developments or hitches, United are expected to announce a deal on Thursday in what Old Trafford’s new Ineos-led hierarchy considera huge coup given the fierce competition they faced for the coveted France Under-21 international.

Yoro’s impending arrival comes as United prepare to sell controversial striker Mason Greenwood to Marseille for a projected £26.6m. The 22-year-old was due to fly to France on Wednesday night for a medical and the finalising of personal terms on Thursday.

United agreed a fee with Lille worth an initial £52.1m  for Yoro last week, with a further £6.7m payable in add-ons.

Real had been considered by far Yoro’s most likely destination this summer as they had signed his revered compatriot, Kylian Mbappe.

Real hoped to land Yoro as free agent

But Yoro was impressed by United’s pitch and on Tuesday night decided on the move to Old Trafford after Real had so far shown an unwillingness to offer the same sort of money.

With Yoro out of contract at Lille in 12 months’ time, having rebuffed several offers of a new deal, Real had originally hoped to land the teenager as a free agent at the end of next season but United, Liverpool and PSG’s willingness to do business this summer altered the picture.

Yoro made 44 appearances for Lille last season in what was his first full campaign as a senior professional, helping the Ligue 1 club to Champions League qualification in the process.

The fee is a considerable amount for such a young, inexperienced player but Yoro is regarded in football circles as a generational talent and United believe the investment is worth making and provided a rare market opportunity.

Sir Alex Ferguson had tried to pull off a similar deal for a 18-year-old Raphael Varane in 2011 only for the future France World Cup-winning defender to choose Real over United.

Varane would subsequently join United a decade later and it is the four-time Champions League winner, who was released at the end of last season, whom Yoro will effectively be replacing at Old Trafford.

Matthijs de Ligt could still join

United are understood to remain in the market for another central defender after Yoro. They have the makings of a deal in place for Matthijs de Ligt, should they wish to sign the Netherlands centre-half from Bayern Munich, although it seems increasingly unlikely that Jarrad Branthwaite will be heading to Old Trafford.

United have had packages worth £43 million and £50 million rejected by Everton for the England defender.

But with Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana set to join Aston Villa for £50 million from Goodison Park, there is much less pressure on Everton to sell Branthwaite and United have no intention of meeting the Merseyside club’s £75 million valuation of the 22-year-old.

United have sold 19-year-old defender Willy Kambwala to Villarreal for a projected £9.9m and could also offload Victor Lindelof, who is attracting interest from Turkey, while doubts remain over the future of Harry Maguire. West Ham are interested in United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

On Thursday Mason Greenwood is expected to complete a move to Marseille worth an initial £23.2 million, with a further £3.4 million payable in add-ons. United have also negotiated a sell-on clause that will net them 50 per cent of the profits on any future sale.

In February last year, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that charges of attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour against Greenwood had been dropped after key witnesses withdrew and new evidence came to light.