Victor Lindelof has become Manchester United’s first summer recruit after moving to Old Trafford for a fee understood to be 35million euros (£30.75million).
The Sweden centre-back, known as ‘The Iceman’ in Portugal, made a name for himself at Benfica but remains a largely unknown quantity ahead of the new Premier League season.
Here are five things you need to know about the 22-year-old.
HE’S A LATE BLOOMER
It is almost seven years since Lindelof made his senior debut but he has only just passed the 100-top-level-appearances mark. He broke through at Vasteras – more on them later – in his homeland and was soon snapped up by Portuguese giants Benfica, who largely left him in their ‘B’ team until promoting him for the 2015-16 campaign.
He has not looked back since, commanding a starting role in the Benfica back-line and helping the Lisbon club win a league and cup double last season.
ZLATAN RATES HIM
Lindelof arrives in Manchester backed for greatness by his fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer.
In November the prolific striker told the Manchester Evening News: “I think Victor is doing great things, he is playing good for Benfica, he gets a lot of responsibility for the national team now, he is growing. Is he good enough for United? I think he’s good enough for the big clubs out there. It’s up to him what he wants and what the situation says.”
VASTERAS TO CASH IN
Vasteras, managed by former Celtic defender Johan Mjallby, are currently languishing in the Swedish third tier. But the windfall they should receive from Lindelof’s sale to United will certainly boost the coffers ahead of a stab at promotion.
The boy born in the city on Lake Malaren was sold to Benfica for just 60,000 euros, yet Vasteras will now bank around 4.1m euros in sell-on fees. A squabble between Vasteras and Benfica reportedly stymied his development, but now all parties can profit.
ACCOMPLISHED ON THE WORLD STAGE
Lindelof scored the fifth penalty in a shootout victory over Portugal in the final of the European Under-21 Championship and – with that medal in his cabinet – he is pushing for silverware with the senior Sweden squad.
The Scandinavians top a World Cup qualifying group containing France and Holland thanks to a dynamic young team marshalled in defence by Lindelof and propelled forward by another rising Swedish star, Emil Forsberg of RB Leipzig. His experiences at United will only aid his quest.
SMORGAS-BORO?
While Lindelof was lost in the wilderness at Benfica, with a first-team future at the Estadio da Luz looking less than likely, he underwent a trial at Stoke.
The Potters did not want to sign him for a reported £260,000 fee and so he tried his luck at Championship club Middlesbrough, who were understood to have been keen to tie up a £5million deal for the physically-imposing teenager. The deal fell through, but Boro can take comfort from the fact United have had to pay six times more.
Provided by Press Association