It’s not very often that Liverpool get beaten to their primary transfer target anymore. But, whilst in the past, Manchester United always had the upper hand over their rivals in the transfer market – the Red Devils have turned back time to do this again this summer. In fact, not only did they pip the Reds to a signature, but they also snatched Real Madrid’s primary target from beneath the Madrid bosses’ noses upon announcing they had reached an agreement with Lille’s 18-year-old centre-back, Leny Yoro.
This is no small feat for a club who have been playing catch-up for a lot of the post-Ferguson era. Finally, it appears they have their domineering figure at the heart of the defence. And while Liverpool fans will argue they have their own up-and-coming force from the back in the shape of academy graduate, Jarell Quansah, there’s never been a more optimal moment to see who got the better end of the stick.
Defensive Stats
Liverpool’s graduate just edges the Red Devils’ new kid on the block
Last season, in an Erik Ten Hag horror show, the Red Devils brought forgotten nadirs back to the fore of their fanbase’s worst nightmares. Not only did they finish eighth in the Premier League (their worst league finish since the 1992 rebranding), but by losing 14 times and conceding 58 goals, they continued to shatter undesirable records.
So, what this evidences, is that United are in desperate need of a defender that can keep the boat from sinking. Through the analysis of the below statistics, although his Liverpool adversary may just edge the defensive sides of the pair’s game, it looks as though the 18-year-old is well-positioned to be the man to take Ten Hag’s backline into its new dawn.
With his long legs and height, Yoro is illustrative of central defenders that have thrived in the Premier League over the last few seasons, and the fact he equals Quansah’s interceptions per game statistic, along with having a slightly better ground duel success rate and a slightly worse-off aerial duel success rate, there’s a whole lot to be excited about for those of the Old Trafford persuasion.
Leny Yoro vs Jarell Quansah – 23/24 defensive stats (per 90) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistic (per 90) | Leny Yoro | Jarell Quansah |
Duels Contested | 5.6 | 9.1 |
Tackles Made | 1.3 | 1.9 |
Fouls From Tackle Attempts | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Fouls | 0.7 | 0.8 |
Aerial Duels Contested | 2.4 | 5.1 |
Aerial Duel Success (%) | 64.79 | 67.16 |
Ground Duels Contested | 3.2 | 4 |
Ground Duel Success (%) | 61.05 | 59.62 |
Clearances | 3.3 | 3 |
Interceptions | 1.3 | 1.3 |
Blocked Shots | 0.5 | 0.7 |
Ball Recoveries | 4.2 | 5.5 |
Passing Stats
Quansah eclipes Yoro in all but two categories
Another vital component of nearly every successful modern day centre-back is their ball-playing ability. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City all boast a surfeit of confident defenders who play a key role in pushing the ball forward, making certain that football is played to its fullest team-sport essence.
Squawka suggests Yoro had a better passing accuracy of 92.16% compared to Quansah’s 88.76% last season. However, by looking deeper into the numbers, it could be assessed that the young Frenchman is a far more conservative ball-progressor.
Liverpool’s adversary came out on top in terms of the number of chances created, passes attempted, passes completed, long passes attempted, long passes completed, through balls, and forward passes. In a sense, this shows that Yoro may still have a long way to go in being that defensive, ball-spraying lynchpin at Old Trafford.
But, then again, accuracy is just as important as intent, and with at least 15 years worth of a career ahead of him, a slight deficiency is hardly going to do much by way of turning United’s chief recruitment staff’s heads back around the other way.
Leny Yoro vs Jarell Quansah – 23/24 passing stats (per 90) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistic (per 90) | Leny Yoro | Jarell Quansah |
Chances Created | 0.1 | 0.3 |
Passes Attemped | 63.2 | 88.2 |
Passes Completed | 58.2 | 78.3 |
Passing Accuracy (%) | 92.16 | 91.47 |
Long Passes Attempted | 5.3 | 7.5 |
Long Passes Completed | 2.8 | 3.4 |
Long Pass Accuracy (%) | 52.26 | 44.9 |
Through Balls | 0 | 0.1 |
Forward Passes Completed | 17.5 | 29.6 |
Verdict
Quansah’s supremacy should take nothing away from United’s teenage sensation
The truth is, any comparison between an 18-year-old and someone who has grown used to the speed of the Premier League will almost always end up favouring one side of the debate massively. Sure, it’s pretty clear that Quansah is the better player at this present time, and this was abundantly obvious when he created an impenetrable barricade next to Virgil van Dijk last term.
But the fact that Yoro does equal, eclipse, or at least somewhat hold his own in a lot of categories also proves just how high his ceiling is. Remember, everyone starts somewhere, and Yoro has already made rippling waves at such a young age, attracting interest from Real Madrid, as well as the same club that already boasts the services of Quansah and Van Dijk, having prioritised the transfer of the latter back in 2019.
For now, these comparisons should be put back in the drawer and saved for a later date. It’s just too early to tell where Yoro will end up, even if Man United will be eager to find a fast-track remedy for last season’s disaster.