Liverpool are still seriously interested in signing Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro and are willing to pay £51 million to sign him, according to Spanish news outlet SPORT (Page 20).
The Reds are in the market for a centre-back to replace Joel Matip, who left the club after his contract expired last month.
Yoro has been identified as the ideal successor for the Cameroon international, but Liverpool facing a huge stumbling block in their quest to sign the highly-rated centre-back.
Lille were initially demanding around £85m for their highly talented defender. They dropped their asking price to £67.5m and have now settled on a £51m valuation.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have informed the club they’re ready to match their latest asking price, but Yoro has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid this summer.
The reigning Champions League winners have identified the youngster as the perfect replacement for Nacho Fernandez, but they’re reluctant to match Lille’s lofty demands.
Yoro is entering the final year of his contract with the Ligue 1 side, and Madrid are trying to leverage his situation to negotiate a £35m deal.
The 18-year-old has also thrown a massive curveball into Lille’s plans to recoup a significant fee for his imminent exit, informing the club that he wants to join Madrid.
Yoro has told the club he will not accept a contract proposal from Liverpool or PSG and has his heart set on a move to Santiago Bernabeu, which complicates matters for Lille.
They can’t afford to let a player of his quality run down his contract, but Madrid’s proposal is nowhere near what they want for the defender.
Given Yoro has refused to shift his stance on a move to Madrid, Liverpool are betting off turning their attention elsewhere for defensive reinforcements.
Yoro is their primary target, but the Reds will have to move on from the defender as they prepare for life under the leadership of Dutch tactician Arne Slot.
