Leny Yoro has disclosed that Angel Gomes, a former Manchester United player, assisted in persuading him to transfer to Old Trafford.
After agreeing to a £52 million deal with Lille, United announced last week that the 18-year-old wonder had signed. Although it was largely anticipated that the young French player would sign with Real Madrid this summer, United moved quickly to get one of the game’s most highly-regarded prospects. Yoro made his debut for the team this past weekend in a preseason friendly against Rangers.
Rio Ferdinand, a legend at United, helped bring Yoro to Manchester; the newcomer revealed that in the days preceding the transfer, the former England player had a conversation with him about the club’s past.
After making his debut for Lille at the age of 16, Yoro played with English midfielder Gomes for two seasons.
Gomes, who made his senior debut in 2017 and became the club’s youngest player to represent the team since the legendary Duncan Edwards, was previously seen to be one of United’s finest young prospects.
However, Gomes departed United in 2020 after finding it difficult to get into the first squad, moving on to Lille, where he has become a vital part of the starting lineup.
Yoro described how Gomes made it very evident that he was joining “the biggest club in the world” by agreeing a transfer to United in his first in-depth interview with club media.
‘We spoke a lot about United,’ Yoro said. ‘He just told me this is the biggest club in the world. You know, the fans, even the way to play, the training camp, everything is really big, is really incredible.
‘So, yeah, every day I spoke with him about this and it helped me a lot to come here. He’s really happy for me. He sent me a message directly [after the transfer was completed].’
Speaking earlier this year, Gomes provided telling insight into Yoro’s rise, underlining his temperament as the key attribute that separates him from other young players.
‘When I was at Manchester United as a 16-year-old, I understood what it was like to be around first-team players. But [Yoro] has a different type of temperament.
‘His temperament isn’t normal or the same as a 16-year-old or 17-year-old coming in.
‘It’s almost like he’s a senior pro, the way he trained and the way he conducted himself and everything. It was easy to see how things could only progress for him.’