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Leny Yoro doesn’t seem to regret his decision to join Manchester United last year instead of opting for Real Madrid or other elite European teams. The French teenager remains optimistic despite a tough start to his career at Old Trafford.
Yoro had the opportunity to sign with a Real Madrid team that had just clinched the La Liga title and their 15th European Cup. Instead, he chose to make a £52 million move to United, a club on the brink of its worst season in over 50 years, culminating in a Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
“Even after last season, I’ve never felt any regrets,” Yoro shares during an interview at Carrington, as he prepares for United’s upcoming match against Spurs on Saturday afternoon.
“I was aware of the project’s challenges before joining. Of course, I didn’t expect the first year to end with us in 15th place. But I have faith in this club’s potential.”
“In your career, you have to make some pivotal choices. I had interest from many clubs, not just Madrid or United,” he adds.
Leny Yoro insists he has no regrets over deciding to join Man United instead of Real Madrid
Man United completed the £52m signing of Yoro last year, seeing off Madrid to his signature
‘I know some people talked about this last year because of the results. I can understand them but, honestly, it’s my choice, my career. I know what I’m doing. Today my choice is Manchester, so I’m really happy with this.’
Yoro could have been forgiven for having doubts. He fractured a metatarsal in his second game on tour against Arsenal in LA that needed surgery and delayed his official debut until December.
Having decided to keep Erik ten Hag, United sacked the Dutchman in October but saw no improvement under his replacement, Ruben Amorim.
‘I think everyone knows last season was a really emotional season. Not even for the coach, for everyone,’ says Yoro.
‘Honestly, it was tough for us. To sometimes face the games, face training. So everyone was emotional, to be honest.
‘I think this year is different. We don’t have the Champions League, but if you can take the good way of this, we have more time to train, we have more freedom in our heads.
‘Every footballer knows when you win on the day, you have a really perfect week. It’s not as emotional as last year, I’m going to say.’
Quietly, assuredly, Yoro has emerged at the heart of a young United team that is starting to blossom under Amorim, winning three and drawing one of the last four games.
But it was a steep learning curve for Yoro last year as injuries and inconsistent form meant he was unable to help the club avoid one of their worst seasons ever
A quick, cultured centre-back prized by the United hierarchy, and one of the few untouchables when they reshaped the squad last summer with the aim of creating a more tightly-knit group with no bad eggs.
Yoro was in touch with Kobbie Mainoo through mutual friends before signing his five-year contract, and they even went on holiday together.
‘When I came here, he was someone I was with all the time,’ says the 19-year-old.
‘He’s a top guy. We spend the holiday together. It’s important for us to have this type of relationship.
‘I stay more with Kobbie, also Amad (Diallo), he speaks French. (Bryan) Mbeumo, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden (Heaven), the young guys.
‘But I have a good relationship with everyone. The thing that’s good is there is no group of friends in the team. This is just one group of friends.’
Yoro laughs when he recalls being too far downfield to join in a Homer Simpson dance celebration with Diallo and Mbeumo in the win over Brighton.
‘Character is really important, for the atmosphere of the team. This is the best for the team, I think, to not have any drama or something like this.
However, the Frenchman has enjoyed a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign with United
He opened up to Daily Mail Sport on his ‘tough’ first season and his vision for the future
‘We cannot build something with bad energy or bad atmosphere or bad characters. I think the club is doing well with this, to take only people and can bring good things in the team.’
Yoro grew up in the Paris suburbs but moved to the outskirts of Lille with his mother Flore Baugnies and three younger brothers, Romeo, Eden and Esteban, after she split from his father Alain in 2013.
When he joined United, Leny insisted on the family remaining in Croix rather than uprooting his siblings. Esteban and Romeo play for clubs in Lille.
‘I don’t want them to be really involved in the Yoro name because sometimes it’s difficult for them to face this. They really stay focused on what they need to do,’ he says.
‘It’s better for them to build their own career. If they can do it in Lille, it’s good. They’re all doing well, so I’m happy.’
When the family visit Yoro in Manchester, they drive to Calais and catch the ferry on a journey that can take at least nine hours. Despite his mother’s claims to the contrary, Leny insists he was not named after Lenny Kravitz.
‘She liked Lenny Kravitz, but she didn’t take his name,’ he smiles. ‘It’s just storytelling for the media. (There are) no other Lennys, just Leny.’
Yoro says he enjoys the ‘freedom’ of being one of the three central defenders in Amorim’s system, and is comfortable with the United coach’s habit of substituting his centre-backs on a regular basis.
With set-pieces having more of a bearing on Premier League games than ever, it is a key position.
‘You can see with Arsenal, they do really well on this (set-pieces), even the long throw,’ he says. ‘You can save the game, you can kill your game, so we’re really focused on this.’
United’s improved form has put them level on points with sixth-placed Tottenham as the two clubs meet for the first time since Spurs prevailed 1-0 at the San Mames in May.
While Amorim’s side trained at Carrington this week, Tottenham were in Champions League action against Copenhagen.
‘Everyone knows what happened in the final, so I think this can be a good game for us to prove that maybe it could have had another result,’ says Yoro.
‘Of course, when you’re at Manchester United, you need to play in Europe – especially with what happened last year.
‘Everyone knows our idea is to be at the top, to be in the Champions League, and I think we can reach it. This is in the mind of everyone.’