Man Utd On The Verge Of Signing Benfica Defender In A £35m Deal
Reuters / Wolfgang Rattay
According to reports in the Portuguese newspaper Record, Manchester United are on the verge of signing Benfica defender Victor Lindelof this summer in a deal worth up to £35m.
The report also claims that the Sweden international will sign a long-term contract at Old Trafford after terms between the clubs were agreed previously.
Lindelof joined Benfica as an 18-year-old, and since then, he has become one of the integral members of the club’s first team set-up. In the current season, the Swede made 46 appearances in all competitions, and played an instrumental role in helping Benfica defend their Liga NOS title.
Owing to his impressive performances for the Portuguese giants, the 22-year-old has become one of the most sought after players in Europe, with several clubs keeping tabs on him.
However, Manchester United have been leading the race to sign Lindelof for months now, and as per reports, they are inching closer to secure a summer deal for him. United scouts have watched Lindelof on many occasions this term, most notably in Benfica’s 4-0 win over Belenenses in mid-March.
The Red Devils will pay £30m up front for the defender, with almost £5m in bonuses if he achieves certain targets. Lindelof signed a new four-and-a-half year contract earlier this year, however, that will not prove to be an issue for United in signing the highly-rated centre-back this summer.
REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev
Earlier reports in the Portuguese daily O Jogo revealed that Benfica president Luís Filipe Vieira had travelled to England to negotiate the sale of two defenders, Lindelof and Nelson Semedo.
Semedo, 23, is also a target for the Premier League giants, after impressing United scouts on their regular trips to Estadio da Luz. Vieira believes he could receive as much as £83m if he can convince United to agree a double deal for the duo this summer.
Jose Mourinho has already revealed that he gave the list of preferred summer targets to Ed Woodward in March, and it’s been rumoured that Lindelof is high on Manchester United’s wanted list.
Written by Pragadeesh Shanmugam 
United fan since Edwin Van der Sar denied Nicolas Anelka’s penalty to earn a dramatic Euro glory. Firmly believes that Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d’Or until he plays this sport. One time writer for GiveMeSport and Roar. A regular contributor to Sportskeeda and BlameFootball.