There are nonetheless 4 weeks till the switch window opens, however Ruben Amorim already has a shiny new signing to drop into his Manchester United group. French defender Leny Yoro made his debut on Wednesday evening within the last 35 minutes of the Premier League match towards Arsenal, and whereas United had been crushed for the primary time beneath Amorim, there have been thrilling indicators within the cameo of their teenage prodigy.
Signed in the summertime, Yoro sustained a foot harm in pre-season which required surgical procedure and so is barely now starting his United profession. A participant purchased by Erik ten Hag to play in a again 4 made his bow on the precise aspect of Amorim’s again three, and it’s a place that fits his fashion.
That a lot was illustrated by his most impactful second on the Emirates, going through as much as a dashing Leandro Trossard, remoted one on one. The backtracking defender used his physique form to pressure Trossard on to his left aspect earlier than striding throughout the realm to snap into a superbly timed deal with. Later Trossard tried to twist Yoro within the field earlier than taking pictures from 12 yards, however the defender once more stored his head and blocked the strike. Nobody on both aspect made greater than Yoro’s three tackles on the evening, regardless of the 19-year-old being a 58th minute substitute.
In France, Yoro has already been in comparison with World Cup-winning defender Raphael Varane, whom he successfully changed at Previous Trafford this summer time. But on the Emirates there was one thing paying homage to one other former United participant, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose tackling stats persistently present him to be among the finest one-on-one defenders on this planet. On high of his defensive skills, Yoro additionally possesses a Carrick-ish grace and composure on the ball, and the right-sided spot in Amorim’s three-man defence will afford him the possibility to step out with the ball and provoke attacking strikes.
There was a clamour round Yoro for a few years, ever since he first broke into Lille’s senior group aged 16. It’s uncommon for somebody so younger to determine themselves at a serious membership, and even rarer at centre-back, a place that calls for such bodily and psychological maturity. However Yoro was shortly marked out as somebody totally different, somebody particular.
“What he’s doing is extraordinary,” stated Thierry Henry final November, having managed Yoro in France Beneath-21s.
His supervisor at Lille, Paulo Fonseca, went additional, saying: “It’s not regular to have an 18-year-old participant like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has. For me, he shall be among the finest central defenders in France and in Europe. He’s very bold however very disciplined. He’s very centered, very concentrated, he desires to study every single day and I’ve little doubt in trendy soccer he shall be among the finest central defenders on this planet.”
That may be a daring assertion however it is usually mirrored in how extremely Manchester United’s hierarchy consider him. Upon finishing the £52m switch, sporting director Dan Ashworth described Yoro as “one of the crucial thrilling younger defenders in world soccer”, and there’s hope at Previous Trafford that he can develop into the following nice Manchester United centre-half.
Yoro continues to be creating, and his academy supervisor at Lille warned final season that for all his undoubted expertise he nonetheless wants to enhance, significantly in aerial duels. However Amorim has a historical past of trusting and creating younger gamers: on arrival at cash-strapped Sporting he was pressured to advertise numerous academy merchandise who later shaped the premise of his title-winning groups in Portugal.
Amorim has began with Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui in defence in every of his three matches to date however, for causes of harm, suspension and tactical rotation, the third defender has modified with every sport. Jonny Evans confronted Ipswich, Lisandro Martinez performed towards Everton, and Harry Maguire began at Arsenal.
However maybe probably the most pure trio continues to be but to mix. The athleticism and intelligence of Yoro alongside the bodily presence of De Ligt and the tenacity of the left-sided Martinez has the ring of a well-balanced again line, one that may construct play from deep, maintain a excessive line and compete at set items – an space which may want consideration after Arsenal’s masterclass this week.
Amorim could must dip into the switch market in January, significantly if he desires to discover a resolution at left wingback, the place Luke Shaw has sustained yet one more harm and Tyrell Malacia continues to be recovering his sharpness after virtually two years out. However centre-back is one place the place United have ample choices for his back-three system. And in Yoro, Amorim has the brand new signing Ten Hag by no means had.
