‘Manipulation’ – How Leny Yoro transfer saga has seen Real Madrid’s agent relationship collapse

An insight into the ongoing fallout from La Liga giants Real Madrid’s failed pursuit of French sensation Leny Yoro has this weekend been forthcoming.

The name of stopper Yoro has of course positioned itself front and centre in the headlines in Spain’s capital across the week to date.

Unfortunately for those of a Real Madrid persuasion, however, this has not come owing to the 18-year-old linking up with Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.

Instead, it comes with Yoro, once considered a near-certainty to sign for Real Madrid, having instead taken his talents to England, with Manchester United.

The widespread understanding, to date, has simply been that United were willing to offer significantly more money to Lille than the Spanish champions, with Yoro himself having become tired of waiting for Real to up their bid.

If the latest word to have surfaced this weekend is anything to go by, however, then something altogether more headline-worthy may well have been at play, behind the scenes.

As revealed by French football insider Romain Molina, super agent Jorge Mendes played a leading role in Yoro ultimately leaving his Real Madrid-shaped dreams behind, to sign for Man United.

The Portuguese, it is claimed, essentially ‘manipulated’ the young defender into the transfer, one which ensured that his own pockets were more heavily lined, too.

Mendes is said to have pushed the suggestion to Yoro and his family that Real Madrid’s interest was not as concrete as Los Blancos claimed.

This, all of a sudden, made the prospect of an Old Trafford switch an altogether more appealing one.

And, as a result, Mendes has seen his relationship with the Santiago Bernabéu hierarchy fall to pieces.

As much has opened the door to a potential departure from Carlo Ancelotti’s ranks, too, with the famed agent now also pushing Andriy Lunin to seek out a new adventure away from the Spanish capital.

Conor Laird | GSFN