Paris Saint-Germain are looking set to be one of the clubs in the race for the transfer of Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro this summer, according to French football expert Jonathan Johnson.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Johnson made it clear how exciting a talent Yoro is, and that he expected there would likely be a lot of demand for the 18-year-old defender this summer.
Johnson acknowledged links with top Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United, whilst also revealing that PSG like the player a lot as well.
Yoro could also be the kind of top young centre-back Real Madrid end up looking at, according to Johnson, though of course it would be exciting to see him in the Premier League.
The Frenchman would surely be ideal as a long-term Virgil van Dijk replacement at Liverpool, while Joel Matip is nearing the end of his contract. At United, there is also surely room for a top young defender of his calibre to replace the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, the latter of whom is being tipped to leave Old Trafford at the end of his current contract.
“Leny Yoro has impressed at Lille this season and is definitely showing himself to be one of the top talents in Ligue 1 at the moment. He’s somebody who I think is going to be in majorly high demand in the summer,” Johnson said.
“We’ve already seen links with the big clubs in the Premier League – Liverpool, Man City, Man United – and my understanding is that PSG are also very keen on him, as well as a number of other clubs from across Europe.
“As things stand, I don’t expect Yoro to make a move away from Lille this January. It’s probably the best thing for his development to stay where he is and keep playing, and I also can’t see Lille agreeing to any sort of deal to sell him now.
“There is a lot of interest in him and he’s widely regarded as one of the best up-and-coming talents in France in defensive positions. He’s a name to keep an eye on, and I’m not surprised we’re seeing speculation this January, even if a move this summer is more likely.
“Let’s see what happens, though, because something like an injury crisis at one of the major clubs, and a big enough offer, might make Lille consider a sale. We’ve seen that Real Madrid are missing key players in that position, so another injury might mean they step up their pursuit of a defender this January, and if they were to do that they would probably want something more long-term, as opposed to a stop-gap solution, in which case Yoro seems like the ideal profile.”