Romano CONFIRMS Real Madrid's summer transfer plans as Chelsea & Man Utd suffer blow

Cameron Smith

19 Apr 2024 18:00 BST
3 min read

Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez has reportedly decided to leave the club when his contract expires this summer, which has accelerated Los Blancos’ pursuit of Leny Yoro.

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Yoro, 18, has emerged as one of France’s most promising centre-backs this season and his form at Lille has attracted interest from numerous European giants.

Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester United have both been linked with a move for Yoro, while Paris Saint-Germain are keen too. However, it appears as though Real Madrid are leading the race to sign the 18-year-old.

The Spanish side famously signed Raphael Varane from RC Lens during his teenage years and they are planning to do the same with Yoro this summer.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Lille starlet Yoro is Real Madrid’s “main centre-back target” as they look to sign a replacement for the departing Nacho. Furthermore, Los Blancos have reportedly held talks with Yoro’s agent Jorge Mendes.

However, Lille’s asking price is likely to be a key factor in Real Madrid’s pursuit of the France U21 international.

Leny Yoro to Real Madrid?

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are also hoping to sign Kylian Mbappe and Alphonso Davies this summer, with the former expected to arrive on a free transfer from PSG and the latter due to leave Bayern Munich.

Yoro has made 39 first-team appearances in all competitions for Lille this season, scoring three goals, while he has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €21.4 million. However, Lille are set to demand a far higher fee, with some reports suggesting the teenager could cost as much as €80m.

Yoro has previously been touted as a successor to either Thiago Silva at Chelsea or Varane at Man Utd, but it seems as though a move to Real Madrid is his most likely next step as things stand.