Lille have been one of the success stories in the league in the recent past, weathering coaching changes and player sales to remain a perennial European contender. A key element to their success has been their scouting, but their academy has had a role to play as well, with young centre back Leny Yoro leading the way.
Teenagers playing leading roles in Ligue 1 is nothing new of late — PSG have been reliant on newly-minted French international Warren Zaïre-Emery, Stade Rennais regularly call on Jeanuël Belocian and Désire Doué, and Toulouse FC have had teenager Guillaume Restes in goal all season.
But, save Belocian, none of these players seem to have taken as stratospheric a leap this season as Yoro. Still only 18, he has played the second-most minutes of any teenager (behind Restes) in the league this season, and has been a major factor in Lille’s improved defence. This was something that hardly seemed a given when fellow centre back Tiago Djaló was hit with a cruciate injury in March.
The Portugal international’s lengthy absence, coupled with the departure of José Fonte, meant that Paulo Fonseca would be calling on a callow set of options in defence, across Bafodé Diakité — more often used at right back, Yoro, and Alexsandro. Veteran Samuel Umtiti was brought in as a bulwark against the team’s losses, but he’s scarcely been needed, with Yoro and the Brazilian playing the lion’s share of matches and powering Les Dogues to fifth place on the back of the league’s second-best defence a year after conceding more than a goal a game.
Born in the Paris suburb of Saint-Maurice, Yoro joined the club in 2017 at the age of 12, and was soon catching the eye of the team’s management, as well as being capped for France at youth levels. A mobile and intelligent player with a knack for bringing the ball out from the back, his passing acumen and elegance are his strongest suits, showing a preternatural maturity and a style of play that is the very embodiment of the modern center back.
It’s a sentiment that Fonseca wholeheartedly agrees with, saying in November: “For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and Europe probably. He is very level-headed, and there is no doubt that he will be a very great player.”
Before Christmas, @france_rika give us #GestesChauds, all against Paris 🔥
— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) December 23, 2023
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These sentiments were also echoed by veteran Rémy Cabella, who compared Yoro’s abilities to some of his former teammates who also evinced their talent from a young age: "At Marseille, I knew Boubacar Kamara, in Saint-Étienne, William Saliba and Wesley Fofana, and now there is Leny Yoro. He has all the qualities necessary and the potential to do something huge. He is very humble and he also has a strength about him.”
Despite the promise of a big future, for now, Yoro is happy to continue stay humble, and to boost Les Dogues’ hopes of playing in Europe next season, be it the Champions League or the Europa League.
Indeed, LOSC president Olivier Letang was unequivocal about a potential sale of Yoro this month, telling l’Équipe: “The situation is very clear, we are very calm and Leny, with whom I speak every week, is too. Our position has not changed, there is no discussion (about a move) in January. I’ve refused to talk about a transfer with interested clubs because I want to focus on our goals.”
Lille will get a chance to continue to work towards this Sunday in the early kickoff as they travel to face a Montpellier side who remain dangerous despite their position in midtable, and who will be brimming with confidence following a midweek Coupe de France win.
