Why Arsenal will be worried as Man Utd set to hijack Leny Yoro transfer from Real Madrid’s grasp

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Arsenal are well stocked at centre-back, but they will be watching the transfer of one of Europe’s most promising defenders with some frustration.

Arsenal’s rivals Manchester United are set to pull off a coup as it appears that they are closing in on the signing of Leny Yoro from Ligue 1 side Lille.

The signing of Yoro is an unexpected development, as it was previously anticipated that he would join Real Madrid, but they have now snatched him from the grasp of the European Champions.

Arsenal are in discussions over the signing of Riccardo Calafiori, and no other defender is expected to come in. Mikel Arteta’s side had the best defence in the Premier League last season, and as talented as Yoro is, there was no interest from Arsenal in the Frenchman.

However, Arsenal will now be ruing the fact that Yoro did not end up joining Real Madrid for one key reason.

Real Madrid centre-back target Leny Yoro set to join Manchester United

Real Madrid are building one of the best young squads in the world, with some of the best talents in every position. Kylian Mbappe and Endrick are already joining an incredibly well-stocked attack, whilst the emergence of Arda Guler in midfield will help them replace Toni Kroos.

They are lacking in young blood in the back line, but Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies has been linked at left-back.

At centre-back, Real Madrid currently have Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and David Alaba as options, with the latter two suffering from cruciate ligament injuries last season.

They wanted Yoro as a long-term option in the position, but with the teenager joining Man United instead, there is now a chance that Real Madrid could be interested in a key Arsenal player.

Real Madrid could turn to Arsenal defender William Saliba after Leny Yoro blow

Arsenal defender William Saliba is already one of the best centre-backs in the world, and continued to shine as he made the Euro 2024 team of the tournament.

Saliba signed a long-term contract last summer to ward off interest from several clubs, but Real Madrid have been linked in the past.

The 23-year-old looks set to continue his path into becoming the best defender on the planet, and is already operating at a world-class level. He would arguably start for any team in the world right now, including Real Madrid.

This makes him an appealing option for Los Blancos as they continue their search for a defender. They may not sign a centre-back this summer, but next year, Saliba will have just two years left on his deal, and if Real Madrid register an interest in him, it will be a tough task in convincing him to stay.

Arsenal will have to hope that they remain competitive at the top in the Premier League title race and that they can keep Saliba happy. If Real Madrid had signed Yoro, they would not have been in the market for a centre-back for a while, but this deal has now left the door open for a future Saliba move.