Since stunning PSG to win Ligue 1 back during the 2020/21 season, it’s hardly proved to be plain sailing for LOSC Lille, who have so far failed to back-up that unlikely success.
In the subsequent years, a number of their quality youth prospects have left the club, including the likes of Carlos Baleba and Timothy Weah, who both departed last summer, but in their absence an 18-year-old centre back has truly emerged on the scene.
By Nathan Evans
His name is Leny Yoro and after just six months as a regular starter with Les Dogues, he’s already being touted as a transfer target during this winter window for some of the biggest football clubs in the world.
If you’ve caught a glimpse of Yoro in action this campaign, you’ll have seen why the likes of PSG, Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and many other elite European clubs are looking to claim his signature in the near future.
Making his first team debut last season at the age of 16 – becoming the second youngest player in Ligue 1 history in the process – the most noticeable part of the Lille star’s game is how calm and composed he is on the ball for a player of his age. This season, he’s taken the next step in his development in that regard and as a result, there are few defenders playing in France’s top-flight that look as tidy in possession.
Through his opening 16 matches in Ligue 1 this campaign, Yoro has excelled as a ball-playing defender who possesses a huge and varied range of passing. His passing accuracy overall stands at 90.9% which could be further improved upon compared to the elite level players, but when you factor in that he regularly enjoys playing mid-to-long range passes to his full-backs and wingers, it highlights his ability to pick out his man no matter where they may be on the pitch. His 60.71 successful passes completed per 90 also demonstrate his desire to be on the ball when possible, and rank him second at LOSC in league action this season.
His comfort in possession can be further emphasised by his ability to successfully dribble past opponents when needed (83.3% success rate). Traditionally, that’s not a skill usually desired from a central defender but possessing that ability, coupled with his range of passing, has helped the Lille defence to frequently break down their opponents’ offensive press this season and set up their own counter-attacks in the process.
But where Yoro really thrives is in winning his duels across the board. Despite standing at 6 foot 2, he has seemingly struggled to get to grips from an aerial perspective in professional football so far, but that part of his game continues to grow steadily.
But what he lacks in that department, he more than makes up for when competing in ground duels. That’s because at present, the Lille youngster currently holds a 80.4% success rate in such duels, the best of any centre back playing in Europe’s top five leagues this campaign.
Considering some of the players currently on that list, that’s simply an unbelievable level to be operating at when only 18-years-old, not playing at one of Europe’s elite clubs, and with plenty of room for further improvement in that area.
Elsewhere defensively, Yoro has won 76.2% of his attempted tackles which sees him comfortably inside the top 15% of all Ligue 1 defenders this season, whilst his 21 successful interceptions also showcase his awareness, anticipation and burst of pace which he possesses and uses to great effect.
There’s also the added bonus that Yoro is proving to be a big threat at set pieces from an attacking perspective, as he’s scored three times across 21 appearances for Lille this season. His two that have come in Ligue 1 have both come in very different ways too, one coming as a deft header to just inside the far post, whilst the other came via a fantastic over the shoulder volley from a chipped free kick.
Of course, there are still large areas of improvement that need to be made across the board for Yoro to become one of the best defenders in Europe and start advancing towards the French national team set up. His desire to advance the ball up the field whilst in possession can see him caught out of position on occasion, and his positioning can seem lacking in important situations. His recent own goal vs Strasbourg and the penalty he conceded against Metz following a poor touch also underline that much more experience is still needed for him to reach the next level of his development.
Whether that will be with Lille or not beyond the January transfer window is still yet to be seen as the big clubs circle, but at 18-years-old, Leny Yoro remains one of European football’s most promising young defenders and should only continue to grow exponentially in both talent and recognition.
(Images from IMAGO)
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