Man Utd enter ‘talks’ to demolish Liverpool signing, as Leny Yoro compared to Barcelona star in huge praise
Man Utd are eyeing a host more top additions
Manchester United are ready to go head-to-head with Liverpool for the signing of Adrien Rabiot, while Leny Yoro has been told he could follow in the footsteps of a Barcelona ace.
Man Utd have allowed players such as Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Brandon Williams to leave on free transfers this summer while also selling Alvaro Fernandez, Donny van de Beek and Willy Kambwala. Those departures have made room on the wage bill for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to land some of the club’s main transfer targets, with Joshua Zirkzee being the first to join.
The Dutch striker has penned a five-year contract – which includes the option of a further 12 months – after Man Utd agreed to pay Bologna slightly more than his £34million release clause.
Ratcliffe and Man Utd have several more irons in the fire as they attempt to give Erik ten Hag a squad capable of challenging Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
DON’T MISS: Who is Leny Yoro? The towering French stalwart Man Utd are set to solidify defence with
The Red Devils have agreed a £52m package with Lille for young defender Yoro, who has travelled to the UK to undergo a medical and finalise personal terms.
Man Utd hope to follow up on that signing by landing another centre-back, either Jarrad Branthwaite or Matthijs de Ligt.
Man Utd are also in the mix for Joao Neves and Manuel Ugarte as they try to find a replacement for Casemiro, who is up for sale.
According to the latest reports in Italy, France international Rabiot remains a strong option to boost Ten Hag’s midfield, too.
Man Utd transfers: Liverpool battle teed up
Man Utd are ready to sit down with Rabiot’s entourage and discuss a potential contract after he let his Juventus deal expire.
Juve had hoped to convince the 29-year-old on a U-turn, but he is now poised to say goodbye to the Italian giants, whom he has played for since 2019.
On Wednesday, it emerged that Liverpool head coach Arne Slot holds serious interest in taking Rabiot to Anfield, having been enticed by the fact he is a free agent.
But Ratcliffe is now in direct contact with Rabiot as he tries to ruin Liverpool’s move and take the player to Man Utd.
Inter Milan, AC Milan and Newcastle United are all in the mix for Rabiot, too. But Man Utd and Liverpool are clearly at the front of the queue as things stand.
Rabiot is holding out for over £100,000 a week, and potentially as much as £150k per week. Inter and Milan will struggle to immediately match those demands, which makes it unlikely Rabiot will remain in Italy by joining one of Juve’s rivals.
Newcastle have the funds to match that salary, thanks to their wealthy Saudi owners, though they cannot quite offer Rabiot the profile that Man Utd and Liverpool would be able to give him.
Man Utd have been tipped to sign Rabiot on several occasions in the past and were previously put off by his financial requests. But it seems Rabiot has learned from his lesson and is now asking for a reasonable sum, while Man Utd like the fact they will not have to pay Juve any transfer fee for his services.
Yoro talked up amid Man Utd negotiations
As mentioned previously, Yoro could be announced as a Man Utd player before Rabiot, with the 18-year-old’s transfer at an advanced stage.
Yoro had been expected to join Real Madrid, as they were his preferred next club, but the Spanish titans have refused to meet Lille’s asking price. This allowed Man Utd to swoop in, and Ratcliffe is aiming to tie up a deal swiftly to prevent any form of Madrid hijack.
French coach Jocelyn Gourvennec, who worked with Yoro at Lille, has compared the wonderkid to another player he helped, Barcelona star Jules Kounde.
“When I knew him [Yoro] in his beginning when he was 16, he was a very complete player, but a little bit tender,” Gourvennec said. “As a young defender, it is normal.
“He has a good reading of the game, he is very good technically, can play short and long passes, is good in duels and he is more ready now than in the beginning.
“He is fast, has height, is good in duels, both in the air and on the ground, he is good technically and is intelligent. He is always calm.
“He is a little bit like Jules Kounde. I had Jules Kounde at Bordeaux and I put him in the starting eleven. He was the same; intelligent and very calm.”
READ MORE – Sources: West Ham nearing £15m Man Utd raid that could help Tottenham seal separate transfer
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