Manchester United has completed the signing of French defender Leny Yoro on a five-year contract with the option to extend it for a further year.
Yoro, 18, played 41 first-team games for Lille last season and was named to the Ligue 1 team of the season after helping his club finish fourth in the league.
Real Madrid was initially believed to be the top choice for the Frenchman, but Manchester United made significant efforts to persuade the 18-year-old to join them. Both clubs reached an agreement for an initial sum of £52.2m, with potential add-ons of almost £7m
“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour, and since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family”.
“I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates. I cannot wait to get started.” The player said.
Dan Ashworth, Manchester United sporting director, said: “Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football; he possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back. Having had such an excellent start to his career, we are excited to support him in reaching his immense potential at Manchester United.