Leny Yoro’s request that made Liverpool interested in new Man Utd signing

Liverpool were interested in Leny Yoro before he signed for Manchester United but were put off by his demand for guaranteed game time.

The 18-year-old defender moved to Old Trafford from Lille in a £52million deal, with the Red Devils also beating Real Madrid to his signature.

It has been reported that the Reds have pulled out of the race for Yoro as it appeared he was set to move to Real Madrid, but that is not the only reason.

Athletic report that the teenager wanted guarantees of playing time and Liverpool were not prepared to make any promises.

New manager Arne has Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez at his disposal and cannot guarantee the new signing will play regularly with all those options in central defence.

With just 60 first-team appearances for Lille, the Merseyside club also saw Yoro as a prospect for years to come, rather than a player to slot straight into the first team.

In addition to these reasons, Liverpool were not prepared to spend the kind of money that Manchester United spent on the young defender, the deal with the Red Devils could reach around £59 million with add-ons.

Paris Saint-Germain have also taken an interest in the France Under-21 international, so it’s a serious blow for Manchester United to land their man.

The Red Devils have paid a huge fee for the teenager, while Athletic report that Old Trafford’s financial package for Yoro has “raised eyebrows” at Real Madrid as they would not have been willing to offer the same amount.

Speaking about his move to England, Yoro said: “To sign for a club of Man Utd’s stature and ambition so early in my career is an incredible honour.

“From my conversations with the club, they have set a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project and have shown a lot of care for me and my family.

“I know the history of the young players at Manchester United and I feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates, I can’t wait to get started.”

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