With Joel Matip leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract, it seems important that the Reds sign a replacement this summer. In Arne Slot’s first season in charge, the Anfield side cannot leave itself short of options at the back.
But while Leny Yoro was a target, the 18-year-old has agreed to join Real Madrid this summer amid interest from Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United, according to Sports Zone. PSG has also taken a keen look at the talented wonderkid, though he prefers a move to Spain.
According to the report, Yoro would ideally sign for Los Blancos this summer but has given the Spanish side his word that he won’t be going anywhere else. Liverpool is believed to be keen on his signature but is aware that the interest from Real Madrid has been strong.
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It had been suggested that Liverpool could jump in and pounce if a move to Real Madrid stalled. But even if the La Liga champion can’t agree a fee to sign him now, it is claimed that he will wait a year and move on a free when his contract with Lille expires next summer.
It was reported last week by the Daily Express that Yoro had already made his decision to join Real Madrid. The Lille president, meanwhile, has already admitted that the player will be allowed to leave.
Lille wants a fee of $53m (£42m/€50m) but the Spanish side would like a compromise on that amount. The Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo had already suggested that Liverpool was prepared to meet the asking price but the player preferred Real Madrid.
Liverpool.com says: If Yoro moves to Real Madrid, you can’t really blame him. Like Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni, it would be a case of the Reds identifying the right player but not being able to do anything about them preferring to move to the Bernabeu instead.
If that does prove to be the case, though, Liverpool really needs to sign an alternative. Ibrahima Konate is injury-prone and Joe Gomez spent most of last season playing at full-back. Virgil van Dijk will turn 33 this summer and Jarell Quansah is hugely talented but is very young and needs to be carefully treated rather than overplayed.
With the Champions League having been expanded ahead of the upcoming campaign, there will be even more fixture congestion than normal. Liverpool simply cannot afford to leave itself short.