Lille centre-back Lenny Yolo is undergoing a medical at Manchester United ahead of signing a five-year contract with the Premier League club with the option to extend for a further year.
The 18-year-old agreed to join United on Tuesday night for a fee of up to 70 million euros, including add-ons.
The two clubs reached an agreement last week for a transfer fee of 62 million euros (£52 million, $67.9 million), but Yolo still had to accept the move.
His initial preference was for him to join Real Madrid, but so far there has been no sign that United and Lille are willing to pay the fee agreed upon.
This has led the League One side to be keen on signing Yolo from United and would prefer to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him as a free agent when his current contract expires in June 2025.
The France youth international teenager is open to a move to Old Trafford and recent developments have been a big step forward for the situation, but there is still work to be done.
If all goes to plan, United will have a prime target to strengthen their defence and a player regarded across football as a generational talent.
Going deeper
Defender Lenny Yolo (18 years old) is being sought by big European clubs.
Premier League teams continue to value players such as Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, but any further additions are likely to depend on departures to free up funds and squad space.
Other interested teams, including Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, were also keen to sign Yolo, but with Yolo initially choosing Real Madrid, it appears the battle is now down to one.
United persisted, however, and made a concerted effort to lure him to the north-west of England while the door was ajar, and barring any unforeseen developments down the line, that mission is now close to becoming a reality.
Similarities between Yolo and Van Dijk
Analysis by tactical writer Anantajit Raghutraman
Yolo tends to play as the final man in Lille’s defence, so in some ways he’s an old-fashioned defender.
Yolo plays deeper but is just as agile and danger-sensing as Liverpool centre-back and captain Virgil van Dijk.
Given his age and typical position on the pitch, it is no surprise that Yolo tends to be cautious with both his passing and ball-moving.
The advantage he brings is that he not only has what it takes to break into the starting XI, but also has the ability to be developed over a season before becoming a full-time first choice.
(Franco Arlando/Getty Images)
