Liverpool have 'confirmed' why they did not sign Leny Yoro from the Old Trafford directors' box

Federico Chiesa lapped up every minute of Liverpool’s victory from the Old Trafford directors’ box. Just three days after signing for the Reds from Juventus, he got to witness his new club put Manchester United to the sword.

Arne Slot’s side were dominant against their bitter foes. Luis Diaz fired a double in the first half before Mo Salah increased the advantage after the interval. The triumph could well have been more emphatic.

Chiesa had a beam on his face. That could not be the same for a United player who wasn’t sitting too far away from the Italian. Leny Yoro had to endure a comprehensive defeat. Donning a protective boot and a crutch, the defender was helpless as he witnessed Liverpool run riot on enemy territory.

Yoro made a move to United from Lille for a fee that could reach a reported £59 million with add-ons in the summer transfer window. His switch to Old Trafford came after Liverpool had also been interested in the 18-year-old. The expectation had been that Yoro was set to join Real Madrid and it was a surprise that he ended up joining United.

At the time, sections of Kopites bemoaned the fact that the Reds did not sign Yoro. It was at a point in the middle of July when Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes had still to add to the squad. With the modern-day obsession over new players, some supporters on social media were send into a frenzy.

With a year left on his Lille contract, neither Liverpool nor Real seemingly thought that Yoro was worth the sum of cash that may make him the fifth-most expensive teenager in history. The French side wanted to earn a significant windfall rather than risk losing him for a meagre compensation fee next summer.

After finishing just eighth in the Premier League last term, United were in need of bolstering their rearguard. Yet Liverpool had no such requirement. Granted, it was a position that they clearly looked at improving but interest in Yoro was more opportunistic - the buzzword of Hughes’ maiden transfer window - than necessary.

Given the Reds recorded a third clean sheet in as many games this season, the decision has so far been justified. Bar a couple of efforts from Joshua Zirkzee, United scarcely threatened Slot’s side. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were both rock-solid as they recorded a combined 15 interceptions, four tackles, nine aerial duels and five ground duels throughout the encounter.

Meanwhile, on the bench sat Jarell Quansah, who broke into England’s senior set-up after a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign. Joe Gomez was also an unused substitute, having been part of England’s squad for Euro 2024 while Newcastle United were prepared to purchase £45 million for his services.

Had Liverpool believed that Yoro was ready to make a swift impact, they may well had made their interest more concrete. Granted, losing out to a player regarded as a generational talent to a fierce foe was somewhat of a blow. What’s more, there are some flaws when it comes to Konate’s injury record, Quansah’s relative inexperience and Gomez making just one Premier League start in his favoured central role last term.

Yet after the beginning of Slot’s reign, it is understandable why they didn’t splash out on Yoro. And with the France youth international sidelined for at least another month with a foot issue, he wouldn’t have been available regardless.