Chelsea could miss out on one defender to Real Madrid in the summer.
Chelsea have been scouting Lille’s Leny Yoro, according to HITC.
However, a report from Marca has claimed that Yoro is keen to join Real Madrid. A deal this summer will not be an easy one for the Spanish giants or the Blues, though.
According to the same outlet, Lille want €100m (£85m) for the central defender, which is likely to put off his suitors.
Yoro is still only 18 years of age, while his contract expires in 2025, meaning that the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid could have the chance to sign him for nothing next summer. The Blues are also said to have scouted one of Yoro’s Lille team-mates.
Leny Yoro could join Real Madrid or Chelsea
It looks like Yoro could have the opportunity to sign for either Real Madrid or Chelsea, though a transfer may not happen until 2025.
Again, £85m is a bit much for a teenager who is close to becoming a free agent. Whatever the case, it is not hard to see why the French youngster is attracting interest from two of the biggest clubs in the world.
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He has defended well for Lille this season, averaging three clearances per game in Ligue 1. Only Alexsandro Ribeiro (4.4) is making more in Paulo Fonseca’s squad (WhoScored).
The above does not make Yoro an £85m defender, but Lille clearly do not want to lose him and feel that he can develop into a world-class centre-back based on their valuation of the player.
It is hard to imagine Chelsea paying that kind of fee for Yoro, but you can probably expect them to make a move for the France U21 international or another centre-half in the summer.
Thiago Silva looks set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, while Benoit Badiashile keeps picking up injuries.
