July 18, 2024 marked a major moment for Manchester United when they beat Real Madrid to the signing of Leny Yoro. More than two years on, the picture around the defender is far less secure, with reports indicating United are exploring other young centre-backs as Yoro continues to be linked with an exit from Old Trafford.

The early setback that shaped his spell came in his first pre-season, when an ankle injury disrupted his momentum before it had properly begun. By the time he finally made his debut in December 2024, Erik ten Hag had already been replaced by Ruben Amorim. On paper, Amorim’s system, built around three centre-backs, should have given Yoro a clearer route into the team.

In practice, it did not unfold that way. After needing time to regain sharpness, Yoro was pushed into a defensive unit that struggled badly. Poor results fed uncertainty, and his performances were affected as errors and nervousness became a recurring theme. At United, where every misstep is magnified, that proved difficult to sustain.

When Michael Carrick later took over, his first objective was stability. He shifted back to two centre-backs and prioritised dependability, with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martínez preferred. Yoro’s opportunities increased only when Martínez was unavailable through injury.

Carrick’s side lost only two matches in the second half of the 2025-26 season, and Yoro started both. There was also the frustrating 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, a result that threatened to interrupt United’s progress. After one win in four, Yoro suffered a knock that kept him out of the trip to Chelsea. In that match, Ayden Heaven impressed in a 1-0 win and appeared to move ahead of him.

Yoro has not started a Premier League match since that injury in April 2026. Since then, he has made five substitute appearances totalling 56 minutes and sat unused on the bench five times.

His standing was further tested in pre-season, when he was used more at right back as emergency cover than in his natural role. He has had two cup starts, including a 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah, but the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion brought another difficult display.

With fewer rotation chances available and greater reliance likely on experienced defenders, Yoro’s pathway looks increasingly narrow. As the article asks, would supporters truly prefer to see him play if it does not help results?

Manchester United have once again reminded observers that the business never sits far from the football.

Louis van Gaal had already warned Erik ten Hag against taking the Old Trafford job in 2022, describing the club as “a commercial club” and adding, “He’d better go to a football club.” Ed Woodward, meanwhile, offered a blunt explanation of the model during his time in charge, insisting that “Playing performance doesn’t really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival in 2024, with control over sporting matters, was presented as a change in direction. Yet the club’s recent job cuts have underlined how hard it is to separate football decisions from financial ones at a listed company. Ratcliffe also said United would have gone “bust at Christmas” without his intervention.

That austerity has extended to recruitment, with spending concentrated on one area of the pitch at a time. In 2025, the attack was refreshed, while this summer the midfield was rebuilt cheaply and without other major additions. With Premier League spending capped by revenue, selling players remains the fastest route to raising funds.

Now United have added a more unusual source of income. Supporters can buy a 2.8-inch cube of turf preserved in acrylic for £125 ($166), complete with a black case and an image of the pitch on the inside panel. The club relaid its pitch this summer for the first time in 14 years, giving the latest sales idea an oddly specific backdrop.

It also arrives 13 years after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, a moment that marked the start of a long decline into mediocrity. In that sense, the latest commercial venture feels entirely consistent with the club’s modern identity. In fairness, United are not the first to monetise the grass. If anything, the draft suggests they have not been ruthless enough.

Manchester United are once again facing questions over squad balance after Luke Shaw missed Thursday’s Champions League win over Sabah because of injury.

Before the match, Carrick explained why the left back was left out. “It’s a little bit of [managing him],” Carrick said of Shaw’s absence before the game. “He came off the other day with a little bit of cramp. We didn’t want to take any risks really.

“We tried to manage him so we will see how he is after this one.”

The issue comes at an awkward moment for United, whose summer business in 2025 focused heavily on attack before a midfield rebuild arrived in 2026 with the arrivals of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. That spending addressed one part of the squad, but the window closed with a clear sense of frustration over the failure to bring in another left back to challenge Shaw.

That omission now looks more significant because United are back in four competitions this season, leaving little margin for error when injuries strike. The timing is especially awkward so soon after the market shut, with the club already needing to manage the same thin depth it chose to live with.

Patrick Dorgu filled in for Shaw against Sabah, though his best role remains uncertain. Under Carrick, he has been used on the left wing, despite arriving primarily as an attacking wing back for Ruben Amorim’s ultimately doomed 3-4-2-1 system.

Dorgu handled Thursday’s assignment without issue, but the challenge ahead is a different matter entirely. Sabah’s level meant there was always likely to be a clear gap in quality, something Sunday’s derby will not offer. Kaheem Parris represented the test on Thursday, while the next one could come from Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden or Rayan Cherki.

Carrick will want his side to attack at home, but the space to commit everyone forward will not be as generous. Dorgu’s adventurous style may prove too risky.

United hope Shaw will be available again soon. The 31-year-old does not appear to have suffered anything serious, yet his long injury record means caution remains essential and risks are unlikely to be taken.