Erik ten Hag impressed by Leny Yoro’s ‘mature’ Manchester United debut

Erik ten Hag complimented Leny Yoro's "impressive performance" in his first game for Manchester United against Rangers at Murrayfield and thinks that the 18-year-old has the potential to become a regular starter in the starting center-back lineup.

Following his debut on Thursday, Yoro, who transferred from Lille for £52.2m, showed his skills in United's 2-0 win during their second pre-season match. He played the first half and was then replaced by Ten Hag, who swapped out all 10 outfield players at halftime.

After his first training session, the manager praised the player for his remarkably mature performance. This is exactly the kind of potential we saw when we scouted him. We are thrilled to have him on the team - he's a talented, young center-back with a promising future ahead of him. He will be competing with a group of four or five defenders for playing time due to the number of games we have coming up.

Ten Hag is looking to add another central defender to the team and has set his sights on Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich and Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton. However, any additional signings may hinge on the potential sale of either Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelöf.

"It's clear that we need a strong squad, that's our goal," said Ten Hag. "Our football leadership is very proactive, just like top clubs like Manchester United. We're happy with the new signings we've made, like Yoro and Zirkzee, who are both promising talents for the future. But we can't just focus on the future, we need to perform well in every game starting today. The next game is always the priority, and so is the next season."

Scott McTominay is catching the eye of other teams, but Ten Hag hopes to keep the attacking midfielder. "We have some really talented players, so it's natural they will draw interest," he explained. "If you score 10 goals in a season and perform at a high level for Scotland, of course there will be interest. We really want to hold on to him. When we played with six in midfield and he was able to take on a more offensive role, he showed just how exciting of a player he can be."

Ten Hag was impressed by Amad Diallo's performance in the game against Rangers. He scored a great first goal by getting past the defenders and scoring against Jack Butland. The Dutch manager praised Diallo's progress since last season, mentioning that he had been on loan for two seasons before being sidelined by a serious injury during pre-season. However, Diallo showed his skills in the last few games of the previous season and Ten Hag believes that this season will be a great opportunity for him to shine.

Ten Hag downplayed United's chances of competing for the title. He emphasized the team's ability to defeat any opponent, citing victories against City and Liverpool. However, he also acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to be done. The team needs to be more consistent and develop a winning culture throughout the entire club, not just in the dressing room.

Ten Hag proposed that Toby Collyer, a 20-year-old midfielder who made his debut against Rangers, has the potential to make it onto the team. "I am always looking for ways to give young players a chance, but they have to prove themselves first. He has now earned his opportunity," the 54-year-old coach stated.