There might well have been a few Liverpool fans casting an envious eye on Manchester United’s friendly against Arsenal on Saturday as Leny Yoro started.
Having been pursued by the Reds earlier in the summer, Liverpool took the decision to step back, assuming that a move to Real Madrid was in the offing. Instead, Yoro took everyone by surprise as he completed the move to Old Trafford .
"Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honor," Yoro said, speaking to Manchester United's official website .
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"Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project and showed a lot of care for me and my family.
"I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new teammates. I cannot wait to get started."
United have immediately set about delivering on that promise of game time as Yoro started against Arsenal in Los Angeles. His time on the pitch didn't last long though.
The 18-year-old lasted just 34 minutes before picking up an injury , with teammates consoling him as he made his way off the pitch. Erik ten Hag admitted he didn’t know the extent of the problem in the immediate aftermath, although the Manchester Evening News has suggested he could miss the rest of pre-season.
That offers a major headache for United. They beat Liverpool to Yoro’s signing with an offer that the Reds felt they couldn’t justify matching , given they already have four senior options at center-back.
That tells you all you need to know about where United are currently. Yes, Yoro offers an option for the future, but Ten Hag and co seemingly viewed him as a player for the present as well.
They had already dispensed of Raphael Varane before the summer began, while Lisandro Martinez seems to have spent more time in the treatment room than on the pitch since making the move from Ajax. Harry Maguire has worked his way back from the brink of being offloaded, but you certainly get the feeling he’s always been a reluctant pick for Ten Hag.
That meant the door was open for Yoro to walk straight into the Red Devils side this summer. Now that he’s injured, Ten Hag either has to rely on the other options that don’t exactly inspire confidence, or splash even more cash on yet another defender.
Compare that to Liverpool and, for all the fury from some supporters after what seemed like a huge missed opportunity, suddenly the Reds’ upper hand becomes clear. Jarell Quansah has been in training since the start of the summer having enjoyed a breakthrough season, while Ibrahima Konate will soon join up with the team in the United States.
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez won’t be too far behind back on Merseyside, and even Sepp van den Berg seems to be coming around to the idea of staying at Anfield . Heading into the new season, you’d much rather be in the Reds’ position.
It will be interesting to see if there’s any sign of Yoro when Liverpool faces United in South Carolina next weekend. If not, that could spell trouble for Ten Hag, and potentially leave Reds fans feeling much more at ease.
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