Fierce fight for a central defense, Manchester United and Liverpool put £78m

The 18-year-old centre-back has been one of the breakout prospects of the season in Europe, with Yoro quickly establishing himself as one of the most in-demand talents in France. Already valued at £78m, Yoro is expected to depart Lille at the end of the season for what will likely be a blockbuster deal, and United are now determined to beat the likes of Liverpool to the defender.

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According to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the Red Devils have made an official approach for Yoro, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also enquiring about the Lille superstar. Given Liverpool’s need for a young defender, missing out on Yoro to United of all clubs would be viewed by the Reds as a massive blow to their transfer plans.

Moreover, the Red Devils landing Yoro would be a major boost to Erik Ten Hag’s defensive ranks, which season have been plagued with numerous injuries to the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

Yoro might have only had one full professional season with Lille, yet the hype is more than justified given how good the defender has been this campaign. And for Liverpool, the Premier League leaders can’t allow a rival in United beat them this year to a centre-back of Yoro’s quality and potential.

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The fight for central defense

As we know, the Reds are in need of a new defender who can one day replace Virgil van Dijk, and Yoro would fit the bill to a tee if he was to make the move to Anfield. Yet with United now in the race in a big way, Liverpool have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks if they’re to win the race for Yoro’s signature.