Manchester United have beaten Europe’s other big teams to sign one of the most exciting young centre-backs in world football.
Leny Yoro has been plying his trade for Lille in Ligue 1 and the 18-year-old has caught the attention of the elite names around the continent.
Now Manchester United are paying up to sign Yoro, who has chosen to sign for the club ahead of Real Madrid.
Leny Yoro’s tactical fit
One of the most important factors about the signing is the fact that the player brings an almost perfect tactical profile fit to how Erik ten Hag wishes Manchester United to play.
The manager has been working with the hierarchy of the club to secure a stylistic change in the squad.
This is being done through shrewd transfers and bringing in players who can play his style, rather than the previous strategy of not properly investigating the profile of those being brought in.
Lille’s style of play is close to what Erik ten Hag wants to replicate and is not too dissimilar to how the Dutch manager played at Ajax. The team ended up in fourth last season and achieved that position through a positive style of play.
Lille were the fifth highest pressing team in Ligue 1, something which ten Hag will want to do more next season with Manchester United.
With 51 high turnovers, the third highest, the team showed intent of turning defence into attack with the ball being won up high. The statistics also show that the team dominates the middle of the pitch wanting to show opponents onto the wings so that their attacks are less potent.
Going forward, Lille had the second most build up attacks, second highest 10+ pass sequences and second highest passes per sequence.
This all means that the young defender is already well drilled in what Erik ten Hag will want from his defence and will take a short time to adapt.
Yoro’s Own Data
When looking at the youngsters’ data initially some of it may not seem impressive.
He does not tackle, intercept or block a lot, plus he does not have a large volume of clearances either.
But this data must be contextualised that Lille were so dominant with the ball last season and averaged 56.6% possession that opponents did not get many chances, thus the defender did not have a lot to do.
But there are some data sets that do stand out. He is in the mould of the modern centre back that Erik ten Hag is hoping for.
Leny Yoro has excellent passing data with his short and medium passing statistics being some of the best in Europe.
He is also a confident carrier, in the top 12% in Europe’s top five leagues, and these runs of his are rarely stopped, with his dispossession rate being in the top 7% in Europe.
Also his own attributes are fantastic. He is quick, physically imposing and aerially strong, the latter shown by his top 6% aeriels lost data, and thus he is well rounded in his ability to be part of a Premier League defence.
A Clean Bill of Health
What is also extremely positive is that he has had an almost injury free career thus far.
But this does not mean that he won’t struggle with the Premier League. Data shows that the English top flight is the most physically demanding league in the world and this does take players a while to adapt.
Often new players may pick up knocks or fatigue related injuries initially and so which such a young player a good pre-season and a careful handling from the start of his career at Manchester United will set him up well.
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