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Despite attracting interest from football giants like Liverpool and Real Madrid, Leny Yoro maintains that he has no regrets about signing for Manchester United.
The 19-year-old centre-back joined the Red Devils last summer in a deal potentially worth up to $76 million. Liverpool had shown interest in Yoro and had communicated their intentions to Lille, but they anticipated his move to the Bernabeu.
Even as they kept an eye on his situation, they ultimately decided against placing a bid, especially when Madrid chose not to meet the Ligue 1 side's asking price. Consequently, United had the opportunity to negotiate a deal with the defender, offering him immediate regular first-team football — a prospect that wouldn't have been available at Anfield.
Last season saw Liverpool clinch the Premier League title, while United experienced their worst campaign in the history of the revamped English top-flight. They finished 15th in the table and suffered a loss in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, failing to secure a spot in Europe as a result.
Despite a challenging start at Old Trafford, including a broken foot that delayed his official debut until December, Yoro managed to make 33 appearances across all competitions during his first season. However, by the time he was fit again, Erik ten Hag — the manager who signed him — had already been sacked and replaced by Ruben Amorim.
Regardless of the struggles United has faced since Yoro's arrival, the young defender insists he harbours no regrets about his decision to join the club.
"Yeah, I know the media, sometimes there's some information that's not completely true sometimes," he told reporters, including our sister-site, the Manchester Evening News, when directly asked about Real Madrid's interest in particular.
"This is some choice you need to make in your career.
"I've had a couple of clubs [showing an interest], not just Madrid or United, I had a lot of clubs. Today my choice is Manchester, so I'm really happy with this.
"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, and I'm just going to be better in the future.
"I said a couple of times, even with last season, I never had this feeling of regret or something like this.
"I know Manchester United, I know sometimes you can have a bad season, but this club is a top club, so you cannot have doubts about this. I know the project of the club also before I came.
"Of course, I cannot expect the first year to finish in 15th position. These are some things you need to face also.
"But you have the director of the club, the coach, all the players, they're here to push you every day. You have confidence in this club. You need to put your heads up every day and try to do your best."
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