After months of scouting and stories of being linked with the defender, Manchester United have reportedly made a £38m bid for Benfica defender Victor Lindelöf. The Primeira Liga star has been on their radar for a long time now and Mourinho is known be an admirer of the 22-year-old Benfica defender.
It is also said that United’s current forward, Zlatan Ibrahimović, has played a crucial role in the development. Scouts from United have been regularly attending fixtures at Benfica’s Stadium of Light and it was after Benfica’s derby win over Sporting Lisbon last weekend that they decided to take the next step.
The mega 38 million pound offer includes many success related bonuses of course. And although Benfica will surely be reluctant to let one of their star defenders go midseason, especially after qualifying for the UCL knockout stages, it will be difficult to turn down the massive offer. More so, when the club had got him for a nominal 60 thousand euros.
While this deal might again look like an overpriced one, a careful analysis reflects how effective the defender could be at United, who are currently facing a huge crisis at the back. With Eric Bailly struggling to find fitness in the league and Smalling just returning to the squad, United currently have to do with the uncomfortable duo of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo in their central defence. Lindelöf could be a huge relief for the backline.
Strength
At 6 ft. 2 in. the defender looks very strong in the air. He makes judicious tackles most of the times and doesn’t have the knack of committing fouls often. His consistency in keeping opponents’ attacks at bay is remarkable and he can do it all day. A disciplined defender, Lindelöf sticks to his target and is quite persistent at his defending. His fast adaptation to Portuguese top flight football after breaking into the senior team from Benfica B side has been notable and the young defender has shown plenty of maturity for his age. He’s a quick learner and United sure need one!
Weakness
His strength could well prove to be his weakness. Premier League is the hardest league to play in world football and his young age could well lead to the under-confidence. Nervous playing leads to rash tackles and the player could well be serving his suspensions even before he gets a chance to settle, as has been the case with most players.
Opportunities
Lindelöf might break into the first team very soon given the current scenario of United’s backline. With United going into the hectic knockout fixtures of the Europa League in the next few months, Lindelöf shouldn’t be complaining about the lack of playing time at the highest level.
Threat
United have huge depth in their squad in all positions and when all players are fit, Lindelöf will have to face tremendous competition to get a first team place. The fast-paced league could also lead him to incur injuries that might keep him out for crucial months like Mkhitaryan and Bailly have already faced this season.
