Jason Wilcox has been handed immediate £42 million Manchester United transfer issue to solve

We know what you're thinking. What could we possibly be on about?

Unless Leny Yoro prefers having Tuesday and Wednesday nights off work and would rather the uncertainty of success, why on earth would he join Manchester United than Real Madrid? It's a valid point, and if given the choice between either club this summer, he would face a straightforward decision. It's not a situation he finds himself in though.

Yoro is understood to favour a move to Real Madrid if he were given a straight choice, after all, they are currently the best team on the planet and have a proven track record of developing the best French talent. You can hardly blame him for wanting to play alongside compatriots Kylian Mbappe, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga.

However, everything Real Madrid has to offer him is uncertain. It has been suggested they are not in a position to sign him this summer and there is no guarantee he will still be a top target for them when he becomes a free agent in a year. The 18-year-old might be one of the hottest young players in world football right now. Still, a lot can change in the space of the year, and what is to say Madrid's eyes won't be diverted by another centre-back in that time, or even find an internal solution that would scupper any hope of a move.

Even if they do make a move this summer, it is likely to be for a much lower fee than United have already agreed with Lille and there is less certainty about his playing time in Madrid, when it seems so certain he’d play a key role for Erik ten Hag’s side.

United also might not be able to guarantee the same level of immediate success, but what they can promise Yoro is a clear development pathway and the instant opportunity to increase his exposure with a move to an elite club. Rather than daydream about how he might fit in at the Santiago Bernabéu, he could instead be given assurances about his guaranteed role at Old Trafford and how the club plans to oversee his development as an integral part of their own revamped approach.

This is where United's new football hierarchy will be tested this summer. The early signs are promising and there is a renewed positivity around the club, but the real task now is to walk as well as they have been talking the talk. Technical director Jason Wilcox will lead all men’s first-team player recruitment in his role and his first real challenge will be trying to convince Yoro why he is better off moving to Manchester now rather than gambling on interest from Madrid in a year.

Another key area of these negotiations will be ensuring that United remain in control. Club sources insist Yoro is just one of several options available to them this summer and they can't afford to waste too much time chasing a player unless they are confident an agreement can be reached.

It is understood United have already provisionally agreed personal terms with both Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt over potential moves this summer, but they are yet to agree a fee with either of their respective clubs. It is the opposite situation with Yoro, who has not agreed to join United, though Lille have accepted a bid for the player.

If after all that Yoro doesn’t still doesn’t want to move to Old Trafford, then they shouldn’t want him.