Manchester United have reportedly been rejected by Lille defender Leny Yoro, who is said to prefer a move to Real Madrid.
The 18-year-old is one of the most sought-after youngsters in European football at the moment, having played a massive part for Les Dogues over the past two years.
Yoro has featured in 60 competitive matches for Lille, gaining valuable experience in the top flight of France and also in the Europa Conference League during 2023-24.
The centre-back also possesses relative international pedigree, having earned seven caps for France Under-21s since making his debut in 2023.
With the likes of Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba ahead of Yoro in Didier Deschamps's thinking for the French senior squad, the teenager is set for a big move in the near future to progress his blossoming career.
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Real Madrid 'favoured' by Yoro over Man United
Making such an impact in Ligue 1 over the last 24 months, Yoro is said to have captured the attention of Premier League powerhouses Manchester United.
The Red Devils are said to have submitted a formal offer of £42m for the 18-year-old - one which was supposedly accepted by Lille earlier this week.
Despite this, Erik ten Hag's troops are still not in pole position for the acquisition of Yoro, according to Spanish outlet MARCA, with Man United facing serious competition for the defender.
It is understood that the France youth international is favouring a switch to 15-time European champions Real Madrid, who have also been heavily linked with the youngster.
Lille are keen for Yoro to explore the possibility of moving to the Theatre of Dreams, though, as Man United are currently offering Les Dogues a better financial package than Los Blancos for the transfer.
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Man United need to get their pull back
In the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, with countless Premier League triumphs and Champions League glory, Man United were in the position to headhunt the best emerging talent that the game had to offer.
However, following an eighth-placed finish in the top flight and years of footballing mismanagement, the Red Devils are no longer an exciting club for young players.
Assembling a team of superstars after collecting their 15th European crown, Real Madrid are unsurprisingly Yoro's favoured future employers at this stage.
That being said, Ten Hag's side will not be scraping the barrel should they be unable to secure the services of the Frenchman, with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's Matthijs De Ligt also potential arrivals at Old Trafford.
