The Red Devils have beaten Real Madrid to the signing of the 18-year-old after agreeing a £52m ($68m) fee with the French side

They say that defenders only truly grow with experience, and Leny Yoro is about as experienced as he could be at his age. The Lille centre-back made his Ligue 1 debut at just 16 years old, and by 17 had consolidated his place in the first team at the expense of World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti. He had also become the club's youngest goalscorer for a decade.

And now he has made the move of his life after signing for Manchester United. Indeed, the Red Devils have beaten Real Madrid to the 18-year-old's signature after previously seeing off competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Liverpool.

But what makes the teenager so special? Let GOAL explain…

(C)Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Like practically every great footballer to come out of France in the last decade, Yoro was born in the suburbs of Paris. But he and his family, who hail from the Ivory Coast, moved to Lille when he was six years old, and he joined the Ligue 1 side's academy in 2017 when he was 12.

He progressed quickly through the youth ranks, and was selected for France at Under-17 and U18 level, while he made his senior Lille debut on the final day of the 2021-22 season against Nice, when he was aged 16 years, six months and one day. That saw him surpass Eden Hazard as the second-youngest player to play for the club.

He continued to make strides into Paulo Fonseca's side the following season, making 15 appearances in all competitions, including 10 starts.

AdvertisementThe big break

Yoro made his European debut in a Conference League play-off first leg at home to Rijeka in August 2023, and things were going downhill after the Croatians took a first-half lead. But despite still being 17, Yoro showed real leadership and stepped up.

Right before half-time, he helped set up Edon Zhegrova's equaliser by stepping into the final third and winning the ball back before cleverly dancing his way past two defenders and working it towards the forward.

The game was still tied heading towards full-time, but Yoro snatched a vital victory with a towering header in the 89th minute. It gave his side a solid platform for the second leg, which they drew 1-1 to progress into the group stages.

GettyHow it's going

Yoro has gone from strength to strength since his heroic display against Rijeka. He has started 30 of Lille's 34 Ligue 1 matches in 2023-24, and only sat out two games all season. He helped LOSC record the joint-third best defensive record in the league, as they conceded just 34 goals in as many games, on his way to being named in the official Ligue 1 Team of the Season.

He continued to show his attacking flair, too, as he struck a classy volley against Rennes in September to become Lille's youngest league goal-scorer in 10 years, while in November, a day before his 18th birthday, he struck again, this time with a glancing header at home to Toulouse.

"It’s not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has," said Fonseca. "For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced, and there is no doubt that he will be a very great player."

GettyBiggest strengths

While Fonseca has praised Yoro's maturity and technical abilities, Jean-Michel Vandamme, the manager of Lille's academy, has highlighted the defender's ability to read the game and follow tactical instructions.

"Leny is a quick learner. He wants to excel and has a real interest in analysing different situations and understanding them, while putting himself under controlled pressure," he said. "When the coach and staff give him advice, he listens, absorbs and applies it. The same is true when he receives advice from his team-mates."

As well as his anticipation and understanding, Yoro stands out for his ability on the ball and has aptitude in starting attacks from defence due to his knack for dribbling his way out of pressure. Then there is his striking prowess, which he demonstrated with three goals from defence last season, with the volley against Rennes being the pick of the bunch.