Leny Yoro Delivers Bombshell "Never" Declaration on Real Madrid Move
Manchester United defender Leny Yoro maintains he harbors no second thoughts about rejecting Real Madrid and other clubs to join Old Trafford.
The French international has appeared in all 10 of United's Premier League matches this campaign, making seven starts, and has been instrumental in the team's recent resurgence. Collecting 10 points from 12 available has positioned the Red Devils merely two points behind second-placed rivals Manchester City—a stark contrast to Yoro's challenging debut season after his £58.8 million move from Lille.
As Ruben Amorim's tactical approach becomes more familiar to the squad—with summer acquisitions Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško helping to speed up development—the atmosphere at United and media perception has significantly brightened.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Yoro confirms he has never questioned his decision to choose United over Real Madrid, who were heavily favored to secure his services before he committed to the Premier League move.
"I've never experienced that sense of regret," he stated. "I understand Manchester United, I realize sometimes you might endure a difficult campaign, but this organization is elite, so you cannot question that. I [understood] the club's vision before arriving. Naturally I couldn't anticipate finishing 15th in my first year. But these are challenges you must confront as well.
"However, you have the club's leadership, the manager, all the teammates, they're present to motivate you daily. You maintain faith in this institution. You must keep your chin up each day and strive to perform your best. Not only Madrid or United, I had numerous clubs [pursuing me]. My decision is Manchester and I'm extremely satisfied with this."
Yoro: Man Utd Playing With More Freedom
Yoro's inaugural season at United witnessed Erik ten Hag's dismissal as head coach and his replacement, Amorim, struggling to reverse fortunes. As a result, the Red Devils achieved their worst-ever Premier League placement (15th) and their Europa League final appearance—their sole potential pathway to European competition for 2025–26—also concluded in frustration as Tottenham Hotspur claimed victory in a poor-quality match in Bilbao by a single goal.
United have suffered financially consequently, missing out on substantial revenue by failing to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League, but the extra recovery time appears to have provided Amorim the opportunity needed to establish his methods. It has also minimized the injury problems the Portuguese manager has faced, resulting in more stable team selections.
"I believe everyone understands last season was an incredibly emotional campaign," Yoro recalled. "Not just for the manager, for everybody. It was difficult, truly. It was challenging for us to sometimes approach matches, approach training. So everyone was emotional.
"I believe this year is different. We don't have the Champions League [to compete in], but if you can extract the positive from this, we have additional time to practice, we have more clarity mentally. So, the manager isn't different from last year, it's simply the outcomes that have changed. And every player understands when you triumph on match day, you enjoy a really excellent week following. It's more about the results mentally. It's not as emotional as last year."
"The mentality is extremely important, for the team's atmosphere too," he explains. "I think the club is succeeding with this, to recruit only individuals who can contribute positive elements to the squad. We don't want any negative influences in the team. It's extremely important for us – attempt to stay concentrated on the team, avoid any drama, just communicate with everyone, maintain good relationships. We cannot construct something with negative energy or poor atmosphere or bad characters."
United's summer restructuring involved several players departing the club either temporarily or permanently—a refresh that superficially may have positioned the club on the road back to future success.