July 18, 2024. A famous day at Manchester United. The day they beat Real Madrid to the signature of Leny Yoro.
United agreed a package worth around $76 million (£60 million) to sign the talented 18-year-old from Lille, and there was significant excitement around the deal. After all, Yoro was seen as a unicorn, a generational talent and the next great center back. United were supposed to be “back.”
Here we are, a little over two years later, and to say things have not gone to plan would be an understatement.
With reports suggesting United are looking at more young defenders to replace Yoro, who has been increasingly linked with an Old Trafford exit, the youngster is entering a crucial period that could ultimately define his entire career.
Early Injury Woes
In hindsight, an ankle injury picked up in his first preseason really set the tone for Yoro’s time with United.
The anticipation surrounding Yoro’s debut only grew and grew up to the point he was finally freed on to the pitch in December 2024. At that point, the manager in charge when he signed, Erik ten Hag, had been fired and replaced by Ruben Amorim, who brought with him a formation that should have, in theory, offered more minutes for Yoro thanks to the presence of three center backs.
It took the Frenchman a little while to get back up to speed, at which point he was thrust into a defensive setup that, if we’re being honest, did nobody in United’s backline any favors. Poor results seemed to take their toll on Yoro’s confidence and created a vicious cycle of errors and nervous performances.
At a club like United, where the spotlight burns brighter than anywhere else, that is simply unsustainable.
A Mixed Start to Life Under Carrick
When Michael Carrick replaced Amorim in the dugout, he had one priority: stability.
Carrick reverted to two center backs and chose reliability over anything else. Harry Maguire was a deserved starter and Lisandro Martínez slotted in alongside the Englishman. It was only during Martínez’s injury-enforced absence that Yoro got his chance to impress.
The new boss only lost two matches during the second half of the 2025–26 season, and Yoro started both games. There was also a bitterly disappointing 2–2 draw with Bournemouth that threatened to derail United’s resurgence.
After a run of one win from four games, Yoro picked up a knock that ruled him out of a trip to Chelsea. In his place, Ayden Heaven impressed in a hard-fought 1–0 victory that appeared to see the 20-year-old climb above Yoro in the pecking order.
Struggle for Minutes
Yoro has not started for United in the Premier League since picking up that knock in April 2026. Five substitute appearances totaling 56 minutes have been intertwined with five games unused on the bench.
His drop in Carrick’s estimations seemed to be made clear during preseason, when Yoro was used more as emergency cover at right back than as a genuine option in his natural position.
Two starts have, however, been found for Yoro in cup competitions. A 4–0 win over Sabah in the Champions League was good for morale, but that came crashing down in the 3–2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup third round. Another missed opportunity for Yoro, who continued to look shaky.
The issue for Yoro is that those chances are going to become increasingly slim. Elimination from the Carabao Cup removes one opportunity for Carrick to rotate his squad, while the Red Devils’ slump before the international break is only going to see the boss lean heavier on the more experienced names in his defense. Carrick will find it hard to select Yoro at a time in which composure is needed more than anything else.
What Does the Future Hold?
United fans are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that Yoro is wasting away on the bench. No player is going to improve without regular minutes, and the chance to help one of the world’s most promising young defenders is threatening to pass them by.
Carrick is under pressure to give those minutes to Yoro, but the pressure of building a reliable defensive unit may well be bigger. Would fans really be happier watching Yoro play if it did not lead to positive results?
It is an unenviable situation for everyone involved, and one which feels like it could come to a head soon. Yoro may well be under contract until 2029, with the option for an automatic 12-month extension, but he will know he can ill-afford to remain glued to the bench at this stage in his young career.
There would be a long queue of suitors if Yoro does hit the market, and he will know that.
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