Liverpool reportedly opted against making a serious play for the signature of Manchester United new boy Leny Yoro due to their belief that he was bound for Real Madrid.
On Thursday evening, the Red Devils confirmed the arrival of the 18-year-old for an initial €62m (£52.2m), which could rise to €70m (£58.9m) through performance-related add-ons over the duration of his contract.
Old Trafford was not originally believed to have been Yoro's preferred destination for a summer move, though, as multiple outlets reported that he had a yearning to represent Real Madrid.
However, Los Blancos did not pursue a deal for the 2005-born starlet this summer, having already brought Kylian Mbappe to the club and being well-stocked in the centre of defence.
Real Madrid's stance allowed Man United to swoop in and agree a big-money deal with Lille, despite reported interest from both Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool in the 18-year-old.
© Reuters
Liverpool 'under the impression' that Yoro wanted Real
According to The Mirror, Liverpool decided against firming up their interest in Yoro as they believed that the 18-year-old had his heart set on joining Real Madrid, therefore rendering any Premier League approach futile.
However, as Carlo Ancelotti's side said thanks but no thanks, the Reds seemingly would have had a realistic chance of pipping Man United to Yoro's signature with a similar financial package.
Liverpool would have been able to offer Yoro the chance to play in the Champions League next season, whereas Man United only qualified for the Europa League via winning the FA Cup last season.
Yoro may enjoy more regular game time at Man United alongside Lisandro Martinez, though, while Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Jarell Quansah are all battling for minutes at Anfield.
Yoro arrives at Old Trafford having scored three goals and provided one assist in 60 matches for Lille, and he was originally called up to France's 2024 Olympic squad before being blocked from going.
What other centre-backs can Liverpool target?
![Liverpool manager Arne Slot pictured in May 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/arne-slot.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Liverpool manager Arne Slot pictured in May 2024 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
News of Liverpool's Yoro stance did not go down at all well with supporters, and with good reason; if the reports are accurate, it surely would have been worth testing the waters either way rather than being resigned to defeat already.
Instead, Arne Slot must look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements following the exit of Joel Matip on a free transfer, which could precede the departures of Sepp van den Berg, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips.
Reunions with Feyenoord pair David Hancko and Lutsharel Geertruida have both been mooted, but neither are thought to be serious targets at this stage, and the Reds are instead running the rule over Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Eintracht Frankfurt's Willian Pacho have also caught the eye of Anfield chiefs, who are yet to bring one new player to the club this summer following Jurgen Klopp's exit.
However, sporting director Richard Hughes is believed to be prioritising the contract situations of Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are in the final year of their deals.
Ben Knapton
