Victor Lindelof is reportedly set to join Manchester United for a £35million deal and will fly to Manchester to confirm the same after wrapping up international duty.
According to a report by The Sun, Lindelof is on international duty at present and then will fly straight to Manchester to have his medical ahead of inking a five-year deal.
The 22-year-old has been on Jose Mourinho’s radar for a long time and will soon complete a move to Old Trafford as the Portuguese manager looks to strengthen his back line with a centre-back before the new season begins.
Lindelof has won 12 caps for Sweden and he rose through the youth ranks at Swedish club IK Franke before moving to Vasteras and signing for Benfica in back 2012 as a 17-year-old.
The Benfica defender has established himself as one of the most promising defenders in the Portuguese top-flight over the last two seasons as he has helped his side win two Primeira Liga titles. The young centre-back has made 47 appearances for Benfica after breaking into the first-team in 2013.
He also has vital Champions League experience which will prove to be handy for a player his age.
Lindelof’s abilities have been widely appreciated because in 2015, he joined the Under-21 Championships in 2015 after answering an injury call for the Sweden Under-21s. His performances were so strong that he ended up in the Team of the Tournament and also scored the winning spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out in the final against Portugal.
Jose Mourinho earlier targeted Lindelof as a potential January transfer import to bolster a central defence that had lost Eric Bailly to injury at that time, but that deal did not go through. The youngster has clearly made a strong impression upon Mourinho as he is still keen on a deal to sign Lindelof.
If the move to Manchester United does go through, the pressure to perform will increase upon current defender Chris Smalling. He has been at the receiving end of backlash from Mourinho and he is likely to fall further below in the pecking order.
Meanwhile, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo have steered United through tough times last season, and the platform they have established can help Lindelof make a smoother transition as he gets ready to play with his new teammates.
The Red Devils are also looking to boost their attacking talent with moves touted for Real Madrid aces Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez along with Torino striker Andrea Belotti. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be a part of the club anymore and that is another area of concern for United that Mourinho will have to find a solution to.
