Angel Gomes’ Influence on Leny Yoro’s Move to Manchester United
Leny Yoro has disclosed that former Manchester United player Angel Gomes played a significant role in persuading him to join the Red Devils.
Last week, Manchester United announced the signing of the 18-year-old prodigy from Lille, having secured a £52 million deal.
Initially, the French starlet was anticipated to join Real Madrid this summer, but United successfully acquired one of the most promising young talents in football. Yoro made his debut for the club during a pre-season friendly against Rangers over the weekend.
Former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand also contributed to bringing Yoro to the club, with the young player revealing that the former England international spoke to him about the club’s rich history just days before finalizing the move.
Yoro spent two seasons with Lille’s first team after making his debut at the age of 16, where he played alongside English midfielder Angel Gomes.
Gomes was once viewed as one of United’s most promising young talents, having made his senior debut in 2017 and becoming the youngest player to represent the club since the legendary Duncan Edwards.
However, due to limited first-team opportunities, Gomes departed from United in 2020 and joined Lille, where he has since become a key member of the first team.
In Yoro’s first comprehensive interview with Manchester United’s media, he explained how Gomes made it clear that by choosing to move to United, he was joining “the biggest club in the world.”
“We spoke a lot about United,” Yoro said. “He just told me this is the biggest club in the world. You know, the fans, even the way to play, the training camp, everything is really big, is really incredible.
“So, yeah, every day I spoke with him about this and it helped me a lot to come here. He’s really happy for me. He sent me a message directly [after the transfer was completed].”
Earlier this year, Gomes provided insights into Yoro’s development, emphasizing his temperament as the key factor that distinguishes him from other young players.
“When I was at Manchester United as a 16-year-old, I understood what it was like to be around first-team players. But [Yoro] has a different type of temperament.
“His temperament isn’t normal or the same as a 16-year-old or 17-year-old coming in.
“It’s almost like he’s a senior pro, the way he trained and the way he conducted himself and everything. It was easy to see how things could only progress for him.”
Angel Gomes’ Influence on Leny Yoro’s Move to Manchester United
