AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho interested in signing Manchester United star in January - Reports

Jose Mourinho is interested in bringing Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof to AS Roma in the January transfer window, according to journalist Rudy Galetti (h/t ThePeoplesPerson).

The Portuguese manager is looking for a new centre-back to bring to the Stadio Olimpico, with Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah and Tottenham Hotspur's Japhet Tanganga also on the shortlist. Mourinho has prior experience working with Lindelof and Tanganga.

He signed the Sweden international from SL Benfica in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £31 million when he was the Manchester United manager. Tanganga, meanwhile, made his senior debut for Spurs with Mourinho in charge. He did so in a 1-0 Premier League loss against Liverpool in January of 2020.

Lindelof has fallen down the pecking order this season following the arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax. Manager Erik ten Hag has favored the pairing of Martinez and Raphael Varane at centre-back.

Captain Harry Maguire has dropped to the bench in the last four league games, and Lindelof is yet to play a single minute of domestic football this campaign. His only appearance under Ten Hag came in the 1-0 UEFA Europa League loss against Real Sociedad on September 8.

He dropped to the bench once again when Manchester United beat Sheriff by a 2-0 margin on Thursday night (September 15). It is evident that Lindelof will struggle for regular game time if he stays at Old Trafford.

At 28, he would expect to be playing regularly rather than warming the bench. His current deal at Old Trafford expires in the summer of 2024.

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Manchester United must be careful not to weaken themselves at the back

It would be a surprise if United let Lindelof leave in the January transfer window without having a replacement in place. They currently have four senior centre-backs in their ranks after Phil Jones was not named in their 25-man Premier League squad for the season.

An injury or suspension to either Maguire, Varane, or Martinez could leave United short-handed in defense if Lindelof leaves. Teden Mengi, 20, is too young and inexperienced to be trusted with first-team football just yet.

Ten Hag must either seek a replacement in the market or keep Lindelof in the team until the end of the season. The Swede showed his worth in the 2021-22 season, where he made 37 appearances across all competitions.