Real Madrid reach breakthrough in €40m transfer saga

Tom Weber

Updated: 9 Jul 2024 10:55 BST
3 min read

Real Madrid are on the verge of striking a deal for Leny Yoro, according to a report.

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After the acquisition of Kylian Mbappe, Los Blancos are keen to bolster their backline due to captain Nacho having left the club for promoted Saudi side Al-Qadsiah.

Leny Yoro has been Real Madrid's top priority for that position for some time, but talks had been slow to progress due to the club's indecision on whether or not to try to sign the 18-year-old sensation already this summer.

Lille are desperate to sell due to Yoro only having a year left to run on his contract. The Ligue 1 side were hoping for a bidding war that ultimately never materialised.

This is because Yoro and his camp have been quite clear about the player's desire to only move to Real Madrid. So, despite interest from the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool and PSG, none of them made a concrete move for him, knowing full well that it would have been an exercise in futility.

Real Madrid close to agreement

Now, The Athletic reports that Real Madrid are close to striking an agreement with Lille for Yoro. There had been suggestions that Los Blancos could simply wait and sign him for free next summer, but it appears that they are keen to add him to their line-up imminently.

Personal terms won't be a problem given Yoro's desire to move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. As for the transfer fee, it is expected that Real Madrid will be required to pay around €40 million plus potential add-ons for the wonderkid.

Other suitors would have been prepared to pay more for one of Europe's biggest prospects, but due to him having his heart set on a move to Spain, Lille will have to agree to a fee on Los Blancos' terms, with the European champions unwilling to go much higher than €40m.

Yoro is expected to sign a six-year contract with Real Madrid.