Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has made it clear that he has no regrets about turning down Real Madrid despite claims to the contrary in the Spanish media, as a respected journalist reveals how the French star rejected a move to Anfield and play for Liverpool.<\/p>\n
Yoro<\/a> has been an important player for Man Utd under manager Ruben Amorim so far this season, with the French star establishing himself as one of the three centre-backs in the Red Devils\u2019 3-4-2-1 system. The 19-year-old has made 10 appearances in the Premier League this campaign, seven of which have come as starts.<\/p>\n This is the first time that Yoro has started to look like the star player that he was expected to be when Man Utd<\/a> signed him from Lille back in the summer of 2024 for a transfer fee worth up to \u00a358.9million (\u20ac68.3m, $80m), including add-ons, with injury and fitness problems behind him now.<\/p>\n It is well-documented that Real Madrid<\/a> and Liverpool were among the clubs that tried to sign Yoro when he was at Lille.<\/p>\n It was Man Utd who were willing to meet Lille\u2019s demands, but there have been suggestions in the Real Madrid media that Yoro have been having second thoughts about his decision to move to Old Trafford.<\/p>\n In August 2025, Defensa Central reported that Yoro\u2019s \u2018regret\u2019 had \u2018reached Real Madrid\u2019<\/a>, but Los Blancos had already signed Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth by then.<\/p>\n It was the same Real Madrid-centric news outlet that reported in June 2025 that \u2018the worst thing for Leny Yoro is the feeling of having made a serious mistake\u2019, adding that \u2018the defender feels regret for not having accepted the Madrid club\u2019s offer last summer\u2019.<\/p>\n However, Yoro has dismissed those rumours by revealing that he does not regret turning down Madrid.<\/p>\n Yoro told ESPN<\/a>: \u201cThis is some choice you need to make in your career.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a couple of clubs, not just Madrid or United, I had a lot of clubs. Today my choice is Manchester, so I\u2019m really happy with this.<\/p>\n \u201cI know some people talked about this last year because of the results.<\/p>\n \u201cI can understand them, but honestly, it\u2019s my choice, my career. I know what I\u2019m doing, and I\u2019m just going to be better in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n READ NEXT\u00a0<\/strong>\ud83d\udd34 Transfer Debrief: Man Utd plan spectacular January move; Liverpool icon to leave; Tottenham star eyed by Real Madrid<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Why Leny Yoro rejected Liverpool for Man Utd<\/strong><\/p>\n Yoro\u2019s revelation that he rejected Madrid for Man Utd comes just days after journalist Ben Jacobs disclosed why the defender turned down the chance to move to Liverpool<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n The respected journalist revealed the message that Liverpool gave to Yoro about being patient and developing, but the teenager felt that playing regular first-team football for Man Utd would be better for his career.<\/p>\n Jacobs said about Yoro on The United Stand Podcast: \u201cHe didn\u2019t go to Liverpool, but it\u2019s fascinating because the Man United pitch was, \u2018If you join us you\u2019re playing every week, you\u2019re going to be an instant hit. You\u2019re going to be chucked straight in at the deep end\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThey did that. He got injured instantly, and he\u2019s still kind of growing into that role and that ability to start week in week out.<\/p>\n \u201cLiverpool said to Yoro, \u2018If we sign you, you\u2019re going to have to be patient for two years. Not because we don\u2019t rate you and not because we\u2019re stifling you, but we think you need two full years of development in training and to be eased in. And that\u2019s what\u2019s going to make you a generational talent\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cMan United\u2019s approach was more chuck him in at the deep end and see what happens.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I actually think that has set him back a little bit. So what\u2019s going to happen is in the next six months or year and a half, Yoro, if he can stay fit, will suddenly become that generational talent, but it\u2019s taken him a little bit more time.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Man United won the race by playing a bit to the sort of player\u2019s ego of you\u2019ll be far more regular than at Anfield.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I actually think Liverpool\u2019s pitch for his development might have been the more sensible one.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest Man Utd transfer news: Wolves raid, Marcus Rashford update<\/strong><\/p>\n In other news, sources have told TEAMtalk\u2019s transfer insider, Dean Jones, that Manchester United are among the clubs keen on a Wolves star<\/a>.<\/p>\n Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that a top Man Utd star is desperate to leave in January<\/a> and is pushing for an exit.<\/p>\n