Manchester United 'open talks' to sign £60m-rated centre-back and more transfer rumours

Manchester United have 'opened talks' with Lille about the possibility of signing highly-rated centre-back Leny Yoro.

That is according to a report by Le10Sport, which claims United, who face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, want to use Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 'connections' with Ligue 1 to try and get a deal done. Ratcliffe owns French outfit OGC Nice.

The British billionaire secured a 25 per cent stake in United on Christmas Eve, ending a saga that had gone on for more than 12 months. Though the deal is yet to be ratified by the Premier League, he and his INEOS team have already held talks with Erik ten Hag about how they can take the club forward.

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Yoro, 18, is one of the most coveted young centre-backs in Europe, earning a wave of recent plaudits and reported interest from other clubs. Manchester City are among those to have been credited with interest in his signature.

United are set to make signing a new centre-back one of their leading objectives this calendar year, though it isn't a quest they are expected to explore until the summer window. Uncertainty surrounds the futures of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof.

Yoro, despite only being 18, has already made 38 first-team appearances for Lille, 22 of which he has stored under his belt this season. Chipping in with three goals, he has established himself as a key figure within Paulo Fonseca's plans.

It has been reported that Yoro is valued in the region of £60million. Liverpool have also been credited with interest.

Meanwhile, United are said to be 'very interested' in signing