No question, Liverpool need to make some signings this summer in order to close the gap on Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, while also gearing up for a charge at the Champions League trophy after spending last season away from the continent's club pinnacle.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot
That said, with Joel Matip gone after his contract expired, Virgil van Dijk, imperious as he may be, now nearly 33 and Ibrahima Konate falling flat at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Liverpool are eager to capitalise on a unique market opportunity.
Liverpool transfer news
It's well known that Liverpool are in the mix for LOSC Lille centre-back Leny Yoro, who is 18 years old and is reportedly valued at €60m (£51m) by the French side.
Unfortunately, so are Real Madrid, with the Frenchman's preference understood to be Los Blancos. However, the Reds are persisting in their interest and will pounce if a chance emerges.
That's according to Fabrizio Romano - via Caught Offside - who claims that the Reds "will be there" for the "generational talent" if Real fail to lodge an official bid.
Why Leny Yoro would be perfect for Liverpool
Yoro may be young but he has already proven himself as a player with the trappings of a top-class defender in the years to come. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has even pronounced him to be "world-class material".
Lille defender Leny Yoro
Limber-framed, the 6 foot 1 defender earned a starring role in Paulo Fonseca's Lille side last season, starting 30 Ligue 1 fixtures, scoring two goals, completing 92% of his passes, and winning 63% of his duels, as per Sofascore.
Yoro is a relaxed, almost languid type of defender at times, but he's intelligent and always alert. Ranking among the top 5% of centre-backs in Ligue 1 last year for pass completion, as per FBref, he's evidently technically sound in a manner that belies his youth and inexperience.
Likened to Van Dijk by scout and journalist Antonio Mango, Yoro certainly has the skills to replace the Liverpool and Netherlands skipper, who is out of contract at Anfield in just 12 months.
Yoro's tactical approach certainly carries similarities to that of Van Dijk, with the latter more creative and frequent in his long distribution but also the teenager's senior by some 14 years.
Leny Yoro vs Virgil van Dijk (Stats Comparison)
Statistics
Leny Yoro
Virgil van Dijk
Matches played
32
36
Goals
2
2
Clean sheets
13
9
Pass completion
92%
91%
Touches per game
67.6
90.8
Key passes per game
0.1
0.4
Recoveries per game
3.9
4.7
Tackles per game
1.1
1.1
Interceptions per game
1.1
1.1
Clearances per game
3.0
3.9
Duels won per game
3.3 (63%)
5.4 (76%)
All stats via Sofascore
As you can see, both players are excellent distributors, though Yoro's more conservative style is clear. Neither jump into tackles and make lunging interceptions with regularity but this is indeed a good thing, denoting a calm and composed presence. Still, when called into action, both are sharp in the duel.
Also hailed as an "11/10 talent" by Kulig, Yoro has a long way to go before he's at the same level as Van Dijk, but he's got the tools to craft a similar career to that of the Anfield phenomenon.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
Real Madrid, of course, are in pole position to sign the prodigy, but if they do decide to keep their coins in their purse, Liverpool will exhaust every ounce of effort in bringing Yoro to Merseyside.
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