Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has picked out ex-Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette as the toughest striker he has ever come up against on a football pitch.
Though still in the infancy of his career, Yoro has already locked horns with some of the finest attacking talent in world football, including Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak and Kylian Mbappe.
And given the French centre-back is not even out of his teens, there are sure to be many, many more daunting challenges ahead of him over the coming years.
Yoro could be forgiven for wanting United to bring in a high-class centre-forward of their own this summer, with both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee badly struggling to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Prior to his £52million transfer move from Lille to United, the 19-year-old only had one full season under his belt in senior football with his boyhood team.
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But the second leg of United’s Europa League quarter-final with Lyon in April marked the fifth time that Yoro had gone toe to toe with Lacazette – and it’s clear he rates his fellow countryman extremely highly.
Lacazette has racked up four goals in his those five meetings with Yoro, leaving a strong impression on the youngster.
‘The toughest striker [I’ve faced]? I would say Lacazette, even in Ligue 1. He was very good,’ Yoro told Rising Ballers.
‘He’s got a lot of experience because he played Premier League and Ligue 1.
‘And his positioning in games, sometimes it’s difficult for defenders, always in your back.’
Yoro opened his account for United in the first leg of the side’s quarter-final with Lyon, directing home Manuel Ugarte’s scruffy effort with a precise header from close range.
‘Honestly, I was not ready to score!’ Yoro joked when looking back on the 2-2 draw at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium.
‘But I didn’t want to celebrate because I wanted to play quick to try to win the game.
‘I was really happy because my family was there and after the game, they said they were really happy for me and proud so it was good.’
Going forward, Yoro is keen to add another string to his bow by bringing more ‘aggression’ to his game.
Asked which area he most needs to improve, Yoro replied: ‘Maybe I would say, sometimes, my aggression, being more aggressive.
‘With the ball, I need to improve, of course, but I think I’m good so maybe, sometimes, I need to be more aggressive.’
Yoro sees his long-term future at United and is desperate to start adding major trophies to his collection sooner rather than later.
Quizzed on where he sees himself in five years’ time, he responded: ‘I hope I will stay here, for sure, in Manchester.
‘[Hopefully] I can say that I’ve won some titles and something has changed, maybe I have a child.’
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