Leny Yoro tells Rio Ferdinand why he joined Man Utd instead of Real Madrid

Leny Yoro has insisted that the history of Manchester United was decisive when choosing between the club and Real Madrid in the summer.

Yoro signed a five-year contract with United in July after they managed to hijack Real’s move for the 18-year-old defender. United agreed to pay Lille an initial fee of £52million, with a further £6.7m due in add-ons, as he became the first signing of the summer transfer window.

His move to Old Trafford was blighted by a foot injury picked up in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal, which means he is yet to play a competitive match for the club. But he is targeting a return to the pitch by November with the hope of playing against the Gunners in mid-December.

Yoro is currently working hard on his rehabilitation at United’s training ground, where he spoke to Rio Ferdinand, who returned to Carrington training ground for . Ferdinand played a part in getting the Frenchman to United in the summer by stressing that his development would be best served at the club – and he has now had another chat with him.

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Asked why he chose United, Yoro replied: “For me, man, it’s got the most history, it’s the biggest club in the world. And for me to play for United, even when I was young, it was the history, the fans, everything is big here.”

Ferdinand then asked Yoro to describe his playing style for United fans who are yet to see him play. “I try to be intelligent on the pitch, to play with my head, to understand the game, the opponent,” he said. “And to be calm. Be calm with the ball, when I defend.

“When I was in Lille, every weekend I was looking at clips of the striker to understand the movements, how he wants to receive the ball. This helps a lot.”

While Yoro claims he chose United over Real, there were other financial factors at play in the summer transfer window. Real were only willing to pay between €25m and €30m (£21m-£25m) for Yoro’s services, but Lille wanted the biggest fee possible with the youngster in the final year of his contract and United represented a better deal for the club.

Nevertheless, Yoro’s words upon joining showed his excitement for United. “Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour," he said. “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 team-mates. I cannot wait to get started.”

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