Vic almost missed out on United move

FORMER Benfica manager Rui Vitoria has revealed Victor Lindelof almost missed out on his move to United.

The Sweden international joined the Reds in 2017 following Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge.

However, the 25-year-old could have ended up in the English Championship before deciding to battle in Portugal and force his way into the Benfica line up.

Vitoria said he managed to convince the centre-back to stay in Lisbon despite strong interest from a team in the Championship, despite a lack of firstteam football.

“Victor, one or two weeks from the close of the winter market, comes to my office and says to me and Rui Costa that he wanted to leave because he had an offer from a second-tier English league club and he wanted to go because he wanted to play more,” Vitoria said. “I told him: ‘It’s very close, your door is about to open, there is only one opportunity that may arise’.

“And he agreed to stay. Then there was an injury for Luisao, another for Lisandro and when he came in he was ready.

“Today he is in England and at one of the biggest clubs in the world because he knew how to wait for his opportunity.

“Our strategy was to have two, three experienced centre-halves and a younger one: we did it with Lindelof, then with Ruben Dias and we were also going to do it with Ferro.”

After establishing himself in the Benfica first-team, Mourinho moved quickly to secure Lindelof, who has become a first-choice centre-back alongside Harry Maguire this season.