Manchester United Transfer News: Victor Lindelof Move Discussed by Eric Bailly
Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has expressed his excitement at potentially forming a partnership with Benfica's Victor Lindelof.
Sweden international Lindelof has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, with Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror having reported a deal is set to go through for around £38 million.
Bailly spoke of his admiration for the defender after Ivory Coast's 2-1 friendly win over Sweden on Sunday.
"I hope to play with him," said Bailly, per Fotbollskanalen (h/t ESPN FC). "Hopefully he will help us. He is a very good player. He has great qualities and will certainly do well if he comes to us."
Like Bailly, Lindelof is considered one of the standout young defenders in world football, and in line with the speculation, many tied to United have pondered a potential long-term partnership between the duo at Old Trafford.
Here's a look at how the two men have compared statistically in their league appearances so far in 2016-17:
| Apps (Sub) | 11 (1) | 15 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Tackles per game | 2 | 0.9 |
| Interceptions per game | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Clearances per game | 5.1 | 3.3 |
| Blocks per game | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Aerial duels won per game | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Passing accuracy | 87.8% | 88.6% |
Lindelof has grown into an assured presence at the base of the Benfica side. He's able to cope with most centre-forwards physically, and in Portugal, he has rarely looked flustered in his duties. Additionally, he is composed on the ball, able to pick short passes into midfield and arrow long balls to a striker or to the flanks.
Those ball-playing traits and his watchful style of defending seem to make Lindelof a perfect partner for Bailly in practice. The United man was a colossus at the back for manager Jose Mourinho's side early in the season, adapting quickly to the robust nature of the Premier League and dominating opposition strikers with his front-foot approach.
Per sports journalist Liam Canning, if Lindelof did arrive, he would become part of a burgeoning young spine of players at Old Trafford:
There's no guarantee he would walk into the team, though, with Bailly himself finding it difficult to get minutes in the starting XI since his return from injury due to the impressive form of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo.
Indeed, when Mourinho was appointed United boss ahead of the campaign, few would have envisioned the pair being his best centre-back partnership. But Jones' committed defensive style has flourished alongside the composed Rojo, who, being left-sided, has added some desirable balance to the defence.
As noted by Squawka Football, the pair have been the bedrock behind the encouraging recent run United find themselves on:
Even so, there will be doubts lingering in the back of the mind of United fans as to how long Jones and Rojo can preserve this dynamic. Not only have both players been inconsistent in the past, but they have each suffered with injury issues throughout their career.
It's why Mourinho may turn to someone like Lindelof in January. Although United may struggle to challenge for the title, they remain in contention for the EFL Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Subsequently, there will be ample opportunity to put a partnership with Bailly in motion.
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