The French national team are blessed with high-quality players right across the board. That goes for players who both have and haven’t made their squad for Euro 2024. In particular, Les Bleus have incredible squad depth at centre-back, with some superb players not even making their squad for this summer’s blockbuster tournament.
The four centre-back options that made Didier Deschamps’ squad for Euro 2024 include Arsenal’s William Saliba, Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano, Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde. It is worth noting that PSG’s Lucas Hernandez is unavailable for the tournament due to a knee injury he picked up earlier in the season.
Their squad for the summer Olympics, which will be hosted in their capital city of Paris, boasts some of the best young centre-backs in world football. One of those names is RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, who is a highly sought-after player and is linked with many of Europe’s top clubs. Other centre-back prospects include Maxime Esteve, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Burnley.
Every Confirmed Euro 2024 Squad
Gareth Southgate has named his 26 England players for Euro 2024 – here are all the confirmed squads in Germany this summer.
ByStephan Georgiou
However, there is one other centre-back in the Olympics squad, who is a target for Europe’s elite clubs this summer, with Liverpool among the names hoping to acquire the services of such an exciting young talent.
Liverpool’s defender shortlist
The player in question here is Lille and France U23 defender Leny Yoro. The 18-year-old made a superb impression for Lille last season, which has meant he is one of the most wanted defenders across Europe this summer.
One of those clubs who are interested in acquiring Yoro’s services are Liverpool, who are working hard to get a deal done, according to Graeme Bailey. Bailey explains that Liverpool are one of the clubs “keeping a close eye on his development” this summer, with a deal for Yoro more lucrative given his contract expires in a year.
However, as previously alluded to, Liverpool are not the only side who are interested in signing Yoro this summer. The Reds’ Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea are also keen on capturing the defender, although all three clubs could well miss out altogether.
Yoro is thought to prefer joining Real Madrid, and has “made it clear” to the other clubs interested that he favours a move to the Spanish and European champions. He would also choose the Santiago Bernabeu over the Parc des Princes and a move to French champions Paris Saint Germain.
Why Yoro would be a good signing
Football analyst Ben Mattinson compared Yoro on X to another young French defender, Arsenal’s Saliba. Explaining that the 18-year-old has the “same dominance” as Arsenal’s number two had at a similar age, the analyst also said he's an "insane" player who could soon be worth £100m. No pressure then.
He played a big part for Lille in 2023/24, playing 32 Ligue 1 games in total and managing to get on the scoresheet on two occasions. He was also part of 15 clean sheets in Ligue 1, a tally that was bettered only by Nice, who kept 17 clean sheets, as per Sofascore.
Notably, Yoro is a wonderful player on the ball, able to keep possession with relative ease. According to Fbref, he averages a 92.1% pass accuracy per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 5% of Ligue 1 centre-backs. Indeed, that is out of 58.28 passes completed per 90, which ranks him in the top 16%.
Stat
Number
Games
32
Minutes
2,672
Goals
2
Clean sheets
15
What is so invaluable about the Lille sensation is his lanky frame. Standing at 6 foot 2, the 18-year-old is able to use his build to his advantage, as he “reaches and sweeps in last man tackles” regularly, as Mattinson put it. As per Sofascore, he averaged 3.9 ball recoveries per 90 last season in Ligue 1, showing the impressive use of his long frame. He is also not afraid of committing to 50/50 duels, winning an average of 1.8 ground duels per 90 minutes.
There is no doubt that signing Yoro would improve Liverpool’s options at centre-back. Given Joel Matip has now left Anfield upon the expiry of his contract, the 18-year-old can step into his shoes and become a replacement for the Cameroonian. He would join the likes of countryman Konate, Joe Gomez and captain Virgil van Dijk as new manager Arne Slot's defensive options.
However, what is perhaps most appealing about Yoro is his likeness to Saliba. It seems incredibly unlikely that he will ever leave Arsenal, but in signing the France youth international, Liverpool could sign his clone, which could set them up at the back for a long time to come.
Liverpool leading the race for dream £102m Szoboszlai partner
Arne Slot would score a major win by landing this talented midfielder.
ByAngus Sinclair