What's the story?
Swedish defender, Victor Lindelof is waiting for permission from Benfica to travel to England to complete his Manchester United switch, report O Jogo. Jose Mourinho had requested the United board to sign the 22-year-old, and it now appears he is on the verge of switching clubs in the coming days.
It’s been reported Lindelof could cost United over €50m including potential bonuses, and could be another big money signing for the Premier League giants.
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Lindelof’s former club, Vasteras, will receive 20% of any transfer fee. That has been a stumbling block till now as Benfica have been a bit reluctant to part with that sum. Lindelof signed for Benfica in the summer of 2015 for a fee of just €1.5m.
The heart of the matter
Benfica have been negotiating with Vasteras over the sell-on clause in Lindelof’s contract, and his former club have agreed to take a lesser cut than 20%. Manchester United are now free to complete a deal for the Benfica star, but he has been named in the Portuguese side’s squad to face Vitória de Guimarães tonight.
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It was earlier reported Lindelof had a €30m release clause in his contract, but that will be raised to €60m before he signs for the Old Trafford club.
What next?
Manchester United must now agree to the finer details with Benfica, before Lindelof is allowed to travel to Manchester for his medical. O Jogo say that Lindelof will sign a five-year contract with the English giants.
Sportskeeda's take
The deal is expected to be completed swiftly over the coming days, as the player also appears to be keen on signing for Manchester United. Any further delay is unlikely, as United have been eyeing the 22-year-old for a while and had started negotiations early.
The pairing of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo at the back has worked out really well for Jose Mourinho recently, and many expected United to delay the signing of Lindelof until the summer. However, it now appears that they don’t want to take any chances and wish to wrap up a deal quickly before other interested clubs make their moves.
Lindelof has made 22 appearances for Benfica this season, and played a crucial role in their success last season. The Eagles are on top of the Portuguese League at the moment, and it’s a bit surprising to see them allow the player to leave in the middle of the season.
