Real Madrid to repeat Jude Bellingham transfer trick to try and pip Liverpool to Leny Yoro

Liverpool is accustomed to battling with Real Madrid for the signings it desires. The Reds could be outdone by the Spanish giants for the third successive summer if the latter gets its way.

Two years ago, Liverpool hoped to sign French international Aurélien Tchouaméni. Sadly for Jürgen Klopp, he rejected the Reds and completed a $108m (£85m/€100m) move to the Spanish capital instead.

Real then snared Jude Bellingham last year, though Liverpool had decided to move in a different direction by buying multiple midfielders instead of one. Los Blancos is reportedly going to use the same playbook it used with the England international to secure Leny Yoro, a center-back with whom the Reds have been strongly linked this summer.

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Spanish outlet Marca has been reporting on Madrid’s thought process with regards to the 18-year-old defender. The reigning La Liga and Champions League champion has offered a new deal to veteran defender Nacho Fernández, who is out of contract this summer. He has made 364 appearances for the club, winning 20 trophies along the way.

Fernández is being courted by clubs in the Saudi Pro League. It has been claimed that if he decides to move, Real Madrid will activate ‘Operation Yoro’. Marca explained how this process will work noting it is how the club approached Bellingham last year.

In short, the idea is to convince the player to force a move having buttered him up. It is claimed Real would explain how Yoro fits into the project at the Bernabeu before showing him the club's facilities. The ball would then be in Yoro's court to make it clear to Lille that he wants to leave.

While Madrid can make a compelling case for any player, it appears it is not willing to meet Lille’s valuation of the young starlet. Marca reports the Ligue 1 club is looking for up to $64.3m (£50.7m/€60m) for Yoro, when Real is apparently willing to go to $42.9m (£33.8m/€40m) for a player with only a year remaining on his current deal.

It is suggested Yoro could offer Lille an ultimatum and sell him now, or face the reality of losing him for nothing in a year. The amount Liverpool has in mind for Yoro’s signature remains to be seen. It looks likely to have another battle with Madrid for the highly rated youngster nonetheless.

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool is very unlikely to beat Real Madrid in a financial battle. If it is to win the race for Yoro, it will need to convince the player that he stands a better chance of regular football with the Reds than he would receive under Carlo Ancelotti.