Bacary Sagna, a former Arsenal and Manchester City defender, believes that Leny Yoro could have thrived at Arsenal had he chosen to join Mikel Arteta’s team instead of moving to Manchester United. Yoro, a 20-year-old French center-back, was signed by United in 2024 for £52 million, beating off competition from Real Madrid. He had made just 60 appearances for Lille before the transfer and was considered one of Europe’s most promising young defenders. However, Yoro has faced challenges in adapting to life at Old Trafford, with limited playing time since his arrival. Yoro has started only seven matches across all competitions this season, with established defenders like Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire ahead of him in the team hierarchy. Sagna believes Yoro’s struggles are partly due to the inconsistent performance of the team overall. “He is another top player but he came to a sick team,” Sagna told Action Network. “When he joined, the team was sick. It’s not impossible to shine individually, but when the team is struggling, it’s harder for any player to stand out.” Sagna also speculated on how Yoro’s career might have developed had he joined Arsenal, where Arteta has built one of the league’s strongest defenses. “If he came to Arsenal and Arsenal were shining, he would probably have been shining too,” Sagna said. “It’s not only about the quality of the player, it’s also about how the team is performing at that time.” He expressed hope that United can improve as a team, allowing Yoro to have a successful season given his talent. Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has criticized the idea of using Yoro as a right-back, a role he feels the young defender is not suited for. “I don’t think he understands right-back, which is fine, a lot of center-backs don’t,” Neville said on The Overlap. He suggested that manager Michael Carrick might see Yoro in a more defensive role on the right, similar to how Liverpool used Ronald Araujo. Neville urged United to reconsider Yoro’s positioning to better utilize his strengths.