Manchester United began their summer spending spree by completing the capture of Swedish international, Victor Lindelof, for a fee of £30.7m from Benfica.
According to the Daily Mail, a further £8.8m could be paid to the Portuguese giants in add-on bonuses, over the course of Lindelof’s four-year deal.
As a result of their 2 – 0 win over Ajax in last season’s Europa League final, United compete in 2017-18 Champions League and are keen to significantly strengthen their squad.
Lindelof’s arrival signals the end of the United careers for some of last season’s back four. Favourites for the exit are Daley Blind, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. The latter pair are interesting Arsenal although they are also looking at Fenerbahce’s Simon Kjaer.
While at Benfica, Lindelof forged a reputation as a no-nonsense central defender. Capable of moving seamlessly from defence to midfield, he rarely takes risks in protecting his goal.
It’s a characteristic the United manager, Jose Mourinho, values highly. His tactics against Ajax involved the back four bypassing the central midfielders to nullify the Dutch. Lindelof fits into that mould very neatly. http://gty.im/695995920
The Swede will link up with United for pre-season training, travelling with his team-mates to the USA for a series of friendlies ahead of the new Premier League season.
