Man Utd tipped to challenge Liverpool for in-demand wonderkid amid '£60m asking price' reveal

Manchester United are said to be interested in a deal for a defender currently playing in France, and it's not Jean-Clair Todibo. The Red Devils are in need of defensive depth having been left short so far this season.

Lisandro Martinez's early season injury did not help, but United were not expecting to have to rely on veteran Jonny Evans so much, with the centre-back re-signed as emergency cover. The Red Devils may struggle to land a new defender this month, sitting close to their Financial Fair Play loss limit due to significant summer spending.

But it seems United are already planning to land a centre-back in Lille star Leny Yoro, who has attracted plenty of attention this month, according to reports in France. Le10Sport say there is a battle developing for the 18-year-old's signature, with Manchester City and Liverpool also interested.

Yoro has already racked up 31 league appearances at senior level despite his youth, while he is a regular for France under-21s. PSG were also said to be interested, but they will reportedly circle back in the summer. It's unclear whether City or Liverpool could pull off a winter move, but the price involved means a summer move is more likely for almost every club.

It's claimed Lille will demand £60million for Yoro, given he is dubbed as one of the best up and coming defenders in the world. That price tag could put United at a disadvantage, and there will be question marks given Todibo, who has also been linked with an Old Trafford switch in the summer, could come cheaper.

In the meantime, Lille chief Paulo Fonseca recently said of Yoro: "He's the same player. It's not easy when a young player starts to attract interest from the best clubs. But he remains calm, focused on our team. This week I had a great conversation with Leny. We talked about the situation. He understood that he had to stay here and think only about Lille."