How Man Utd beat off Real Madrid’s attempted transfer hijack of £52m defender Leny Yoro only for defender to get injured

THE decision maker for Leny Yoro’s move to Manchester United over Real Madrid has been revealed.

Yoro, 18, signed a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months with United for £52m.

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After winning the Champions League, Real Madrid sought a new central defender due to long-time player Nacho leaving the club at the end of his contract.

The reigning LaLiga and European champions offered Leny Yoro a salary of £2.5 million per season.

However, United presented a significantly more lucrative deal, offering Yoro triple that offer for £8.1 million per year, as reported by .

Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag was eager to integrate the promising talent into his squad.

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And Yoro made his friendly debut against Rangers after just a few days of pre-season training.

He then travelled to America with the team for more friendly matches but suffered a serious injury during a game against Arsenal.

This injury required metatarsal surgery sidelining him for an expected three months.

He will not be rushed back after United secured the double signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined fee of £60m.

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Despite discovering Yoro's potential metatarsal issues, club executives chose to push ahead with the move.

It was seen as a rare opportunity to capture one of Europe's highly-regarded young stars.

But Real Madrid later clarified that they were not willing to invest in players not necessarily needed in Carlo Ancelotti’s team, especially after enhancing their squad with the signing of superstar Kylian Mbappe.

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