Manchester United centre back Leny Yoro insists he has no regrets about turning down Real Madrid and other suitors in favour of moving to Old Trafford.
The Frenchman’s featured in all 10 of United’s Premier League games this season, starting seven, and has played a crucial role in the club’s recent uptick. 10 points from a possible 12 leaves the Red Devils just two points behind rivals Manchester City in second place—a far cry from Yoro’s disastrous first season following his £58.8 million transfer from Lille.
With Ruben Amorim’s philosophy now being understood better by the club’s players—summer signings Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško have helped accelerate progress—the mood and atmosphere at United, as well as the narrative in the media, has notably improved.
Now, Yoro, in an interview with The Telegraph, says he’s never once regretted joining United over Real Madrid, who were strong favourites to land his signature before he put pen to paper on a move to the Premier League.
“I never had this feeling of regret,” he revealed. “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 [knew about] the project of the club before I came. Of course I cannot expect the first year to finish in 15th position. But 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. Not just Madrid or United, I had a lot of clubs [after me]. My choice is Manchester and I’m really happy with this.”
Yoro: Man Utd Playing With More Freedom
Yoro’s first season at United saw Erik ten Hag sacked as manager and his successor, Amorim, fail to turn things around. Consequently, the Red Devils recorded their lowest-ever Premier League finish (15th) and their run to the Europa League final—their only potential route into European competition for 2025–26—also ended in disappointment as Tottenham Hotspur won a low quality contest in Bilbao by the odd goal.
United have taken a financial hit as a result, losing out on vast amounts of revenue by not playing in the Champions League or Europa League, but the additional rest days looks to have afforded Amorim the time needed to implement his ideas. It’s also reduced the number of injuries the Portuguese has had to contend with, leading to more consistent team selection.
“I think everyone knows last season was a really emotional season,” Yoro reflected. “Not even [just] for the coach, for everyone. It was tough, honestly. It was tough for us to sometimes face the games, face training. So everyone was emotional.
“I think this year is different. We don’t have the Champions League [to play in], but if you can take the good from this, we have more time to train, we have more freedom in our head. So, the coach is not different than last year, it’s just the results that are different. And every footballer knows when you win on the day, you have a really perfect week after. It’s more about the result in the head. It’s not as emotional as last year.”
“The character is really important, for the atmosphere of the team also,” he says. “I think the club is doing well with this, to take only people who can bring good things in the team. We don’t want any bad things in the team. It’s really important for us – try to be focused on the team, don’t do any drama, just speak with everyone, have a good relation. We cannot build something with bad energy or bad atmosphere or bad characters.”
United’s summer overhaul included a number of players leaving the club either on loan or on a permanent basis—a reset that on the surface may have set the club on the pathway back to success in the future.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Never’—Leny Yoro Makes Telling Real Madrid Transfer Statement.
