Why PSG Might Regret Not Moving Sooner For Lille’s Leny Yoro
Paris Saint-Germain will face stiff competition in their pursuit of one of the most talented young center-backs in Europe.
The competition to sign Lille OSC wunderkind Leny Yoro is starting to heat up, with Paris Saint-Germain occupying one of the places closest to the front of the queue for the 18-year-old. However, the French champions are not alone in keeping a close eye on the under-21 international defender, with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich also credited with interest in him.
The situation is similar in many ways to the one seen back in 2011 when a young Raphael Varane broke through with LOSC’s northern rivals RC Lens and was snapped up by the Spanish giants. Now with Manchester United, the former France international enjoyed immense success in Spain as well as with Les Bleus, including the FIFA 2018 World Cup and a run to the 2022 final in Qatar. Varane could even become a player of interest for the January transfer window, given his situation at Old Trafford, should PSG’s lack of defensive depth due to key absences continue into 2024.
Les Parisiens cannot risk losing out on another top defensive talent taking the first steps in what could be a storied career in Ligue 1, and Yoro also hails from the Parisian suburb of Saint-Maurice. Adrien Rabiot is another notable son of the Val-de-Marne commune to have written his name at Parc des Princes, and the French giants’ project is more than ever geared towards domestic talent.
Standout performer Yoro is unlikely to leave Lille this January, with Les Dogues faring reasonably well under Paulo Fonseca across Le Championnat and also in the UEFA Europa Conference League. With that in mind, PSG might already have to consider a January move for the teenage sensation, which would see him remain at Stade Pierre Mauroy until at least next summer to develop further.
Which positions the Ligue 1 leaders might need to strengthen come the winter window is not yet clear, given that Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes are both working their way back to fitness. Should one or both be back in action before late January, it would lessen the real need for reinforcements and could open up the possibility of a strategic signing for the future, like Yoro.
PSG’s recent decision to action Gonçalo Ramos’ option to buy outright from SL Benfica suggests that finances are not as strained as they were when Randal Kolo Muani was signed late in the summer. There are also some peripheral figures expected to move this coming January, with the unwanted Hugo Ekitiké chief among those names having refused to join Eintracht Frankfurt as Kolo Muani moved.
None of this is beneficial as far as defensive options go, though, with Kimpembe and Mendes’ fitness key questions ahead of the second half of the season under Luis Enrique. Should the France and Portugal internationals be fit for early 2024, PSG should feel generally happy with squad depth as well as competition for places in and around the starting XI. Realistically, though, how fit will Kimpembe and Mendes be when they return, and how quickly can they be somewhere close to their best condition given their respective lengthy injury layoffs?
It is a tough question to answer with Mendes, a particular concern given his recent surgery and the fact that there is only really Lucas Hernández to play at left back until he is operational again. Both defenders have UEFA Euro 2024 hopes despite France and Portugal’s impressive form without them, but we will not know how realistic those are until they finally get back out onto the field.
Yoro was already on the radar this past summer and perhaps would have played more than initially expected, given the defensive situation’s evolution so far this term. However, it would be difficult to truly argue that the Frenchman’s development would have been as rapid at Parc des Princes as it has been with the 2021 champions up north. Given Yoro’s immense potential, PSG transfer guru Luis Campos will have known that competition was bound to increase for the youngster, so he must feel particularly well-positioned at present.
As Les Parisiens have seen before, though, Real and Bayern’s lure can be strong—especially in the French market—and the capital club has only just started to get serious about domestic talent again. Yoro is not the only Ligue 1 prospect that PSG are keeping an eye on for the future, with Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes another to have been monitored after a string of impressive showings. There is FC Nantes’ Quentin Merlin, too, who was touted in this very column when news of Mendes’ need for surgery was made public by the club and exposed the lack of depth at left-back.
Understandably, though, Yoro is close to being the top priority for January at this moment in time and seems to be sold on the move, given the influx of French talent in Paris since Luis Enrique’s arrival. There is also the impressive development of Warren Zaïre-Emery, who gained senior international recognition in France before the age of 18, which is a game changer for PSG’s domestic image.
It is not too late for Yoro just yet, which is why he is being lined up to potentially be secured for next summer in January. However, the argument that PSG could have moved sooner for the defender also rings true and could prompt Campos to not hesitate with similar opportunities such as Restes should he be identified as an ideal component in future plans at Parc des Princes.