Manchester United legend was ‘deployed’ to convince Leny Yoro to sign

Manchester United employed the help of club legend Rio Ferdinand in convincing new signing Leny Yoro that Old Trafford was the right destination for him.

The 18-year-old centre-back was unveiled as a Manchester United player on Thursday evening after completing a £52m move from Lille.

It is a huge fee for a teenager with little experience and with just one year left on his contract, but there was a lot of competition for the Red Devils to fend off.

Real Madrid were very keen on the defender, and it was thought the Spanish giants were his preferred option, while the likes of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain were also tracking the teenager.

Manchester United eventually got their man, offering a much better financial package than any other club did both to Lille and the player.

The Premier League side also used other tactics to encourage Yoro to come to Old Trafford, including their big name former stars.

The Athletic report that Rio Ferdinand was ‘deployed, among others, to convince him it would be the right move.’

The club seemed to confirm that Ferdinand had been in contact with Yoro before his unveiling as a Red Devil on Thursday in a video posted on social media.

With the youngster ready to pose for photos, a member of the Manchester United media team handed the Frenchman a phone, saying: ‘Before we begin we have a message from someone who you’ve spoken to quite a lot already.’

On the screen was Ferdinand, for some reason topless, who started chanting: ‘Leny, Leny, Leny!’

He then sent a heartfelt message to the new arrival, saying: ‘Listen, congratulations, welcome to Manchester United. I wish you all the best.

‘I know you’re going to work hard and that’s the secret, man. Work hard, work, work, work on all the parts of your game. You’ve got all the potential, all the tools, everything there to rock and roll, ready to make an impact at this club. The best club in the world, a beautiful place to be. Go and enjoy yourself, man.’

United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth said of the new signing: ‘Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football; he possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back. Having had such an excellent start to his career, we are excited to support him in reaching his immense potential here at Manchester United.

‘This club has a fantastic record of developing young players, whether homegrown or brought in from elsewhere, and giving them the required guidance, time and patience to grow and flourish. Under Erik ten Hag and our excellent staff we will ensure that Leny has the perfect platform to achieve the success that everyone across the club is aiming for.’

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