Man Utd and Liverpool set for blow as £43m transfer bid for 'new William Saliba' accepted

Manchester United and Liverpool are both set to lose the race to sign French wonderkid Leny Yoro.

Yoro, 18, has been the subject of a €50million (£43m) transfer bid from Paris Saint-Germain which current club Lille have accepted, although Real Madrid are still in the hunt. Lille find themselves under pressure to sell the talented centre-back after he entered the final year of his contract, having narrowly missed out automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Yoro's stock steadily rose over the course of the season in which he made 44 appearances across all competitions, with Lille reaching the quarter-finals of the Conference League before losing on penalties on Aston Villa. French outlet Sports Zone claim that PSG have struck first, although the teenager would still prefer a move to Madrid.

Real have already convinced Yoro over their project but Lille's need for cash quickly could force him to Paris. United and Liverpool were previously linked with a move for the France under-21 international, who made his first-team debut for Lille aged just 16.

Dubbed 'the new William Saliba', Yoro is also eligible to represent the Ivory Coast at international level. His performances over the past two years have seen him become one of Europe's most coveted young defenders, with Lille boss Paulo Fonseca is awe of him.

"It's not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has," said Fonseca. "For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced, and there is no doubt that he will be a very great player."

Centre-back is an which both United and Liverpool are looking to recruit for in the summer transfer window, with each club already confirming departures at the heart of defence. It was announced last week that United defender Raphael Varane will leave at the end of his contract next month, as will Liverpool's Joel Matip, who's missed the majority of the campaign after rupturing his ACL.

United are understood to be keen on Everton youngster Jarrad Branthwaite, who's valued around £80m by the Toffees. The 21-year-old, who received an England call-up in March, is also admired by Tottenham and Manchester City.

Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo is also on United's radar, a move which would no-doubt be aided by links between the two clubs through INEOS. As for Liverpool, Eintracht Frankfurt prospect Willian Pacho has recently been linked.

Ecuador international Pacho, 22, enjoyed an impressive first season in the Bundesliga, meaning that Arne Slot's side might be forced to pay between €50m and €60m (£43m and £52m).