Man United look to have made a definitive decision on their second signing of the summer as young defender Leny Yoro is reportedly already “in Manchester” for his medical ahead of joining the Premier League club.
The French centre-back, who has impressed during his breakthrough into LOSC Lille’s first team over the past two seasons, has attracted a number of suitors across this transfer window, including Liverpool, PSG and, most notably, Real Madrid.
However, despite a tentative initial bid from Madrid, it looks as though United have now pulled the trigger and beaten the La Liga giants to his signature, as it is said Yoro has now flown to Manchester for his medical with a fee already agreed between both clubs and the final details soon to be confirmed.
According to the latest updates from ever-reliable transfer source, Fabrizio Romano, the deal is said to be a five-year deal which “includes several bonuses based on appearances, performances and more”.
⚪️🇫🇷 Real Madrid, also informed of Leny Yoro’s travel to Manchester to finalize his move to United.
Real have always been clear: €20/25m for Yoro this summer or join as free agent in 2025.
Yoro’s preference is always thought to have been Spain, but it seems the recently incumbent INEOS Group were clinical in negotiations and simply met the Ligue 1 club’s asking price while Madrid were apparently willing to wait until 2025 when his contract was due to expire
It was reported on Tuesday that Man United had made progress in talks with two central defensive targets, but that only a deal for one of them was expected to be completed given their transfer budget and stricter measures than ever around FFP and PSR.
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That being said, with the departure of Raphaël Varane and Willy Kambwala, Victor Lindelöf having just a year left on his contract, not to mention other players future’s still looking uncertain, outgoings could potentially make room for another among the back four to be brought in.
Meanwhile, even famous fans of the Red Devils like social media star Harry Pinero have been playing the role of football agent to try and curry Yoro’s favour. Let’s just say it can’t have hurt their chances.
Social media influencer Harry Pinero messaged Leny Yoro trying to convince him to join Manchester United.
While an official announcement is yet to come and it’s still unclear if his medical has been completed or if all personal terms signed off, for all intents and purposes, it looks like a done deal.
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Bringing in Yoro would mark the second acquisition by United so far ahead of the 2024/25 season, with Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee also being unveiled earlier this week – two youthful additions to the overall squad depth at either end of the pitch.
Elsewhere in defence, Premier League veteran and long-serving club servant Jonny Evans was also given a new one-year deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford after impressing as what started out as a stop-gap signing amid their chronic injury problems throughout the previous campaign.
Featured Images — Leny Yoro/Equipe de France de Football (via Instagram)
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Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
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Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
17th July 2024 
