According to reports, Manchester United is prepared to trade for Victor Lindelof in order to sign a World Cup champion the following summer.
After missing two months of play due to an injury, Lindelof just made a comeback and participated in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa for United.
In order to preserve the Swede’s value before his initial contract expires this summer, United exercised a clause that would have extended his contract until 2025.
Before his injury, Lindelof was a consistent starter for United from September to December, but his long-term future at the team is uncertain given the return of Raphael Varane and the form that Harry Maguire has returned to.
Furthermore, a recent report claims that manager Erik Ten Hag is open to letting him go in exchange for the ability to sign a new centre-back.
According to Italian retailer Inter Live, one way for United to sign French World Cup champion Benjamin Pavard would be to include Lindelof in a trade.
Only joining Inter Milan from Bayern Munich last summer, Pavard is reportedly valued at over €40 million, and the Italian powerhouses are reluctant to let him go.
After recovering from an injury, the France international, who scored a famous long-range goal for his country against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, has been a consistent starter for Inter in recent months.
It was believed that United had been tracking Pavard since the summer and was getting ready to make a bid for the 27-year-old, but that the club had to sell one center-back in order to make room for another because of Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns.
Ten Hag’s team was unable to make any progress in January due to this additional reason, so the Dutchman will have to settle for what he has for the duration of the campaign.
