Liverpool have emerged as favourites in the race with Real Madrid to signteenage sensation Leny Yoro and with the player now expected to leave Lille for a fee far lower than initially expected.
New Liverpool boss Arne Slot has his work cut out for him at Anfield after agreeing to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager. Stepping into the shoes of one of their most popular and charismatic managers of all time, the Dutchman will hope to continue the amazing work done by his predecessor when he officially takes up his contract on Merseyside from June 1.
Soon after his appointment was confirmed, the departing Feyenoord boss was spotted at their Kirkby training base, getting to know his new surroundings and to begin work on planning for Liverpool’s future.
And while he has since gone on a 10-day break to prepare for the task ahead, Slot will be back on Merseyside on Monday morning to officially begin his reign at Liverpool.
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While ensuring the Reds do not suffer any form of post-Klopp blip will be priority No 1, Slot will also have his own ideas about how to continue and even build upon the amazing work of his predecessor.
Part of those plans will involve recruitment and it’s understood the Dutch coach will be backed with a sizeable kitty to make three of four signings of his own this summer.
To that end, Slot has seemingly set his sights on a new centre-half, a holding midfielder, a new left-back and potentially a new striker if a notable name moves on.
Liverpool learn new price needed to sign Leny Yoro
In terms of the latter, a report on Thursday claimed Slot has decided to show Darwin Nunez the door with a £90m-rated Premier League marksman eyed as his replacement.
However, Slot’s first Liverpool signing may well come in the heart of his defence with a swoop made possible after the Reds bid farewell to the long-serving Joel Matip at the end of his contract last summer.
After serving the Reds with distinction for eight seasons, Matip was a big factor in the success Liverpool enjoyed under Klopp.
Now Slot has set his sights on a teenage talent he feels would be the ideal candidate to step into his shoes and potentially even prove the heir to Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.
The player in question, Yoro, has been making serious waves in Ligue 1, having already clocked up an impressive 60 appearances for Les Dogues despite only turning 18 in November.
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Strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid and PSG this summer, the Champions League finalists are reported to have put any deal on the backburner as they focus on signing Kylian Mbappe and new full-backs as their main summer priorities.
And while PSG remain keen, Lille would prefer not to sell to a direct rival, with the Reds now emerging as favourites as a result.
Furthermore, the Daily Mail reports that the teenager has already made up his mind to leave Lille this summer in light of the growing interest in his services and having already said his farewells to his teammates.
‘New William Saliba’ may cost Liverpool less than expected
Compared to Arsenal’s majestic defender Wiliam Saliba, it is easy to see why clubs are queuing up to land the stylish centre-half.
And while Lille rate the player in the £50m bracket, it’s been claimed there is a belief that an offer closer to the £30m mark could actually tempt the Ligue 1 side to cash in, especially with the player having made clear his desires to leave and take his career to the next stage.
With Slot seemingly encouraged by both the player’s stance and Lille’s apparent willingness to accept a lower than expected fee, the Liverpool boss is understood to have now made the capture of Yoro an urgent priority and plans to make him the first signing of the new era are now being put in place.
A move to bring Yoro to the Premier League would certainly impress Rio Ferdinand, who likes what he sees in the France youth international and believes he has what it takes to become an elite star.
“There are similarities in the way Van Dijk plays. Saliba now as well the way he plays there’s the way they’re kind of just kind of calmness under pressure. Don’t ever really seem fazed. They’re good at covering, yeah so some similar traits.
“There’s a young boy at Lille, Leny Yoro He’s going to be one of the best centre backs about as well. I’ve seen similar traits. He’s going to be a top defender,” Ferdinand hassaid.
Yoro, who stands at a colossal 6ft 3, was virtually an ever-present for Lille in the season just gone, featuring 32 times in Ligue 1 and 44 times across all competitions, scoring three goals.
