“I rejected Real Madrid’s £600,000 per-week wage to join Man United and now Erik ten Hag is annoying me”: Man United’s summer signing angry at Erik ten Hag’s decision, revealed how he rejected Real Madrid’s eye-watering offer to join the Reds
Leny Yoro’s decision to join Manchester United over Real Madrid has been clarified, as reports reveal why Madrid ultimately pulled out of the race to sign the highly-rated young defender.
Yoro’s transfer to United came after a summer of intense competition from several European giants, with Madrid emerging as United’s primary rival. In the end, the French center-back chose to join Erik ten Hag’s project, signing a five-year deal with an option for an additional year. United successfully secured his transfer by agreeing on a £52 million fee with Lille, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group began to show its financial strength in the transfer market.
Real Madrid had been searching for a new central defender after winning the Champions League and seeing the departure of longtime stalwart Nacho, who left at the end of his contract. However, despite being interested in Yoro, Madrid was outmatched in the financial aspect of the negotiations.
According to Marca, Madrid offered Yoro a salary package worth £2.5 million per season. In contrast, Manchester United put together a far more lucrative deal, tripling Madrid’s offer. The Premier League club agreed to pay Yoro £8.1 million per year, a figure Madrid was unwilling to match. Instead of increasing their bid, Madrid chose to explore alternative defensive options.
Ten Hag, eager to add Yoro to his squad, quickly integrated the young defender into the team. Yoro made his unofficial debut in a pre-season friendly against Rangers after just a few days of training with United. He then traveled with the squad to the United States for more pre-season fixtures. Unfortunately, his promising start was cut short when he suffered a serious injury during a friendly match against Arsenal in the U.S. Yoro broke his metatarsal and required surgery, leaving him sidelined for what is expected to be around three months.
Real Madrid later provided insight into their decision not to pursue Yoro further. The club reportedly felt that the young defender did not fit the specific profile Carlo Ancelotti was looking for in his team. Instead, Madrid opted to strengthen their squad by securing the high-profile signing of superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Meanwhile, Yoro’s injury forced Manchester United to seek additional defensive reinforcements. The club turned to Matthijs De Ligt, who made his Premier League debut in a 3-0 loss to rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. De Ligt, currently on international duty with the Netherlands, made headlines after describing his challenging match against France in blunt terms during a weekend interview.
Though Yoro’s start at Manchester United has been hampered by injury, the club remains hopeful that he will recover quickly and play a significant role in their future plans.
