Manchester United completed a transfer for Victor Lindelof from Portuguese club Benfica. In a statement released on their official website, the English club said, ‘’Manchester United is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Benfica for the transfer of Victor Lindelof, subject to a Medical Examination, international clearance and personal terms. A further announcement will be made once the transfer is complete.’’
The 22-years-old, who is thought to have cost United £31 million ($39 million) excluding performance-related bonuses, is Jose Mourinho's first purchase of the summer.
He will fly to Manchester next week to undergo a medical examination and is expected to join his new teammates on their visit to the United States next month.
Mourinho had been chasing the talented defender since January. An initial approach was rejected by Benfica, but this time United returned with an offer that was too tempting to turn down.
When asked about the speculations, Mourinho said, "I will not say if I want him or not, I think it’s incorrect.''
Strong and stable partnership
The Portuguese boss has been clear that he knows the players he needs. The new signing will be used to strengthen United's defense after a season in which injuries kept a number of players on the sidelines. As the club prepares to return to the Champions League, Mourinho realizes that he needs a bigger squad.
The former Chelsea manager is also confident that he now has a solid partnership where two young defenders (Lindelof and Eric Bailly) will serve him for the long term. Consistency is one element United has lacked since their greatest manager -- Sir Alex Ferguson -- retired.
Praise from Zlatan
The Swede has been previously praised by his compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who said that ''Lindelof was ready to play for big clubs.'' Whether the two will play together for the Red Devils is still unclear.
The veteran striker was omitted from United’s retained list and will need months to recover from a bad knee injury.
Lindelof is the fifth player from the Scandinavian country to sign with Manchester United. He joins a list that includes, in addition to Ibrahimovic, Jesper Blomqvist, Bojan Djordjic and Henrik Larsson.
Having played for several clubs in his home country, he moved to Benfica in 2011. He won three Primeira Liga titles and was selected for the national team for Euro 2016 in France.
