What's the story?
Manchester United's prime summer transfer target Victor Lindelof has snubbed their interest and has instead put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with his club, SL Benfica. The Sun and O Jogo both report that the 22-year-old's new contract is valid all the way till 2021.
Jose Mourinho was reportedly an admirer of the Swedish international and wanted him to partner either one of Chris Smalling or Eric Bailly at the heart of Manchester United's defence but this new contract forces the Portuguese to look elsewhere.
In case you didn't know...
Lindelof was highly tipped to join up with Mourinho's side in the winter transfer window but the club decided against it in the last minute. With Rojo, Smalling and now Phil Jones all available for the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager, the change in decision seemed logical.
Valued at around €20 million in the market, Manchester United were thought to have formulated a bid in the region of €40 million to try to prise him away from Benfica. Given that the club are adamant that they'll spend big in the summer, it probably explains why they didn't want to empty their coffers in January.
The heart of the matter
With Phil Jones a regular on the treatment table and Rojo a little gun-shy in crucial moments, Mourinho was looking for a young enough imposing centre-half who could come in and help his side keep more clean sheets in the Premier League.
Smalling has impressed this season and is likely going to be the go-to man for the Portuguese manager over the next couple of years. Lindelof was the younger one who could have come in and learnt from the best before establishing himself as the leader at the back for the club.
What's next?
The new contract is likely going to force Manchester United to look elsewhere. They remain interested in AS Roma's Antonio Rudiger and Kostas Manolas while Middlesborough's Ben Gibson has also been watched by the club.
Also Read: Rumour: Manchester United want Harry Kane if they fail to get Antoine Griezmann
Should they decide Lindelof is the man to solve all their problems, they're going to have to bid much more than they've done so in the past.
Sportskeeda's Take
Lindelof is likely to remain with Benfica for another year in the least. He's a target for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, too, who can offer him higher chances of winning silverware albeit with a pay incomparable to how much he could earn at Manchester United.
