Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has played an important role this season for various reasons, and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT the latest on his future at Old Trafford.
The Swedish international has been at the club for many years now, spending periods in and out of the starting XI. Romano has now explained how Erik ten Hag feels about the centre-back and has revealed how close he was to leaving the club in the past.
Lindelof has been a key figure in the side
Lindelof signed for United back in 2017 as a then-22-year-old up-and-coming central defender for a fee of around £31m, per Sky Sports. The former Benfica star came with plenty of expectation and hope at Old Trafford, but over the years he's had to get used to becoming a squad player. The arrivals of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez has seen Lindelof fall down the pecking order, but this season has emphasised the need for squad depth.
Per Manchester Evening News, there's a possibility that Varane could return to action this month, but Martinez is set to be ruled out until 2024. The United duo have been limited to just nine Premier League starts between them this term, meaning no centre-back has started more games in England's top flight this campaign than Lindelof for United.
Lindelof has now entered the final 12 months of his deal at Old Trafford, so it will be interesting to see whether United opt to convince him to sign on the dotted line and extend his contract. The Swedish centre-back recently revealed that there is a one-year extension clause in his current contract, but it's not been activated just yet...
If United have the option to give him an extra year without being forced to offer him an increase in salary, then it certainly makes sense to keep him at the club for squad depth. However, if the Red Devils want to go to the next level, then bringing in a new central defender wouldn't be a surprise, so Lindelof may have to consider whether his game time is going to continue in the future.
Fabrizio Romano update at Old Trafford
Lindelof and Harry Maguire are likely to have to accept that they're going to be playing squad roles once Martinez and Varane are fit. As a result, one of the United duo may look to move on in the near future, especially if Erik ten Hag and his recruitment team opt to bring in an additional defender in the upcoming transfer window or beyond.
The recruitment team have established centre-back targets
The Mirror have recently reported that the United recruitment team have drawn up a four-man shortlist to bolster their defence in 2024. The report claims that the injury issues with Martinez and Varane and doubts over the long-term future of Maguire have prompted the Red Devils to target a new defender.
Goncalo Inacio, Edmond Tapsoba, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Antonio Silva are said to be on United's list.
It's easy to forget that the Manchester club had a lot of depth in this position before the summer, but Teden Mengi, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, and Axel Tuanzebe all departed.
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