[Long Post]
Seen some collective head losses over the Yoro deal and wanted to clear some things up.
๐: ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ?
A: Well for starters we wouldn't even be in the running for him next year. This summer was our first and only chance at him. By next summer he was sure to have signed for Real Madrid for a free transfer. We are essentially paying Lille โฌ50m+addons to avoid that situation.
๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ โฌ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ?
A: Well it's partly due to them having to direct their finances elsewhere (Mbappe even though he was a free transfer, still needed a substantial signing bonus) and partly due to their arrogance and confidence that Yoro himself would force the situation to join them. This was when United took advantage of the situation. โฌ20m is NOT Yoro's market valuation.
๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ? ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ.
A: I think we have to change our attitude. Yes, we are Man United, but we aren't Fergie's Man Utd anymore. 10 years of obscurity have dented our stature significantly. We cannot just knock on the doors of players and expect them to come to us immediately. They now have to be convinced to join us, especially with so many other opportunities in the PL and elsewhere. Hopefully, this changes going forward.
So it was understandable that Yoro took some time to think over the decision especially since he had a dream of playing for Real Madrid
๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ?
A: Well then let them then. Yoro will sign a 5+1 year deal with United. If by 2027 RM come looking and he wants to join them, he can be free to join them. But they will have to pay premium fee for him, maybe even a world record fee for a defender if his development goes as planned. It will help us massively in PSR/FFP calculations.
But if they don't come looking, you are getting the best young CB to play for your club for the next 12-15 years. How can that be a bad thing? I can only see massive gains from both scenarios.
๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ โฌ๐๐๐ฆ+ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐๐-๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ-๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐ข๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก?
A: It's a pretty normal fee for the best talents in the world. For example, Real Madrid recently paid โฌ72m for 17-year-old Endrick, Barcelona paid โฌ30+30m for Vitor Roque. If you go back a few years, PSG paid โฌ180m for 19-year-old Mbappe (funnily Yoro is said to be the Mbappe of defenders).
Even Man Utd have spent substantially for the best talents. We paid โฌ37m (ยฃ27m) for 18-year-old Rooney in 2004 which in today's market is โฌ90-100m. We paid โฌ37.5m for 18-year-old Shaw in 2014 and a deal reaching โฌ60m for 19-year-old Anthony Martial in 2015.
Good players cost money. Figures of โฌ100m were being touted by Lille earlier but his contract situation has helped us get him for half the amount.
๐: ๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐?
A: Frankly I wouldn't be the best person to answer that question. I just watched him a couple of times and thought he was very decent. But I will say this though. He has always been United's top choice at CB. They wanted him at all costs and they got him. How many times have we been able to say that in the last 10 years?
I think we have signed a fantastic player and I don't really see any downsides with this deal. Should be a very successful signing for Man Utd if he remains injury-free.