‘Pressure for Lindelof’ shouts the cover of A Bola today, as the hype for the Swedish defender is now bigger than ever.
Jose Mourinho has complained this season about having to use left backs as central defenders. The situation should change somewhat with Eric Bailly being available again, especially given that Phil Jones has managed to string some games together.
Mourinho also has Chris Smalling, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo as central defensive options in his Manchester United squad, but wants another.
At the end of November, O Jogo reported Manchester United had initiated some sort of contact to sign the defender. At the beginning of this month the same newspaper reported Lindelof’s move to Manchester United in the January window is becoming ‘likely’, because Jose Mourinho’s grip is getting ‘stronger’.
The British press have also picked it up, and that only provides encouragement for those in Portugal.
A Bola have managed to get an interview with the player’s agent, Hasan Centikaya, who confirmed that it would be very easy for Benfica to sell the 22-year-old now.
But despite the attractive headline, the representative isn’t putting pressure on the situation at all. He only said the decision to sell or not is up to Benfica’s president Luis Filipe Vieira.
“There’s much speculation, of course, and as I said before, Victor already plays for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Benfica,” Centikaya told A Bola.
“He fights for titles, plays in the Champions League and is very happy at Benfica at the moment. Of course there are clubs aware of what he’s been doing at Benfica, Victor has been doing good things, but we have a very good relationship with the president Vieira and he will be the one to take a decision for Benfica.
“The matter must be put to the president. I’m not the one to take this decision. If the president wants to sell him, he sells, if he wants to sit with him and renew the contract… Victor is very happy at Benfica, which is a big club and fights for titles.
“Of course there’s the interest of very good clubs, but at the moment it’s a decision for the president.”
Lindelof is currently negotiating a new contract at Benfica which, according to reports, would have his release clause raised from €30m to €60m.
A Bola once again reiterate that €30m is the clause.
Despite the interview with the agent, A Bola don’t overly push the Manchester United line. The newspaper state that Benfica have denied any kind of contact over a transfer, and their article seems to be pausing the rumour, rather than pushing it forward.
