Leny Yoro Names Arsenal and Liverpool Stars as Top Defenders
Leny Yoro, the Manchester United defender, has singled out two Arsenal players and a Liverpool ace as the “top three” players in the world in their position.
Yoro, who is now playing regularly for Ruben Amorim’s side after missing the first half of the season due to injury, has expressed his admiration for the defensive talents of Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, as well as Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal line up wearing walk-out jackets prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Ipswich Town FC at …” />In terms of stature, Manchester United are right up there with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, even though the Red Devils have fallen behind on the pitch in recent years. Yoro will hope to be part of his side’s revival under Amorim and, as one of the best young defenders in the world, there are high hopes and expectations for him.
Leny Yoro Hails William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Virgil van Dijk
Leny Yoro, speaking to Rio Ferdinand on Five, was asked who he thinks are the three defenders in the game who he acknowledges are the very best. He opted for Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, along with Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.
Yoro said: “At the moment for me, Saliba is a top defender, because with the ball he’s really good and without the ball he’s good. Van Dijk is (also) a top defender, and I would say Gabriel.”
Ferdinand noted how all three are in the Premier League, and Yoro replied: “Yeah, because for me they’re the top three defenders in the game.”
Rio then asked: “Your game is similar to all of those guys in the way you play good with the ball?”
And Yoro replied: “Yeah – maybe not all of them, but with the ball yeah, they really try to find a good way.”
Saliba and Gabriel, both £27million signings for Arsenal, have both made a real name for themselves as arguably the best centre-back pairing in English football. Both are regulars for Arsenal and have helped the club get to within touching distance of the biggest trophies after several years in the wilderness.
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes | Trophies won at current club |
| William Saliba | 116 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 10,212′ | 2 Community Shields |
| Gabriel Magalhaes | 202 | 20 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 17,389′ | 1 Community Shield |
| Virgil van Dijk | 301 | 25 | 13 | 23 | 1 | 26,728′ | 1 Champions League, 1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups, 1 Community Shield, 1 UEFA Supercup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup |
They will hope to replicate what Van Dijk has done in winning everything there is to win from the perspective of a Premier League club. Van Dijk had to wait 18 months before he won his first trophy at Liverpool, while Jurgen Klopp waited nearly four years since he took the reins before he lifted his first trophy.
Arsenal are on a similar trajectory to Liverpool, so there’s certainly scope for the floodgates to open once they break their trophy duck.
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