Swede takes long way round to Manchester
Potters snubbed teen
STOKE City missed out on a £ 30million- plus windfall when they ignored Victor Lindelof – and now the young Swede is set to become an identikit Jose Mourinho centre-half.
That’s the view of the man who tried to persuade the Potters to part with just £200,000 five years ago and take a punt on the teenage defender. But the club allowed Lindelof, now 22, to slip through their fingers.
Success
And Craig Honeyman, the agent who attempted to push through the deal from Benfica, says Mourinho’s signing has everything necessary to be a major success at Old Trafford.
He said: “Victor is such a wellrounded guy – I can’t see this move fazing him for one minute. But Stoke must be kicking themselves they let him slip through the net.
“We had been alerted to him because he’d made his debut in firstteam football with Vasteras Sportklubb in Sweden when he was only 16.
“Stoke had agreed to take a look at Victor and another promising young player called Linus Sjoberg.
“They played him in a couple of matches at rightback. In fairness he was able to play there, at centrehalf or as a holding midfielder.
“I saw one of the games and he did stand out. I’m not just saying that, even though I had an interest in him.
“I pleaded with the club to allow Tony Pulis to have a look at him for just one day in training with the firstteam before making a decision. They didn’t think he was able to do that.
“And they’d have been able to take him for €300,000 – about £200,000 back then – as compensation.
Potential
“I don’t know how much the club has spent on defenders since. But they would have saved themselves a huge amount of money if they had spotted the potential.”
Honeyman, who runs HSH Sports, was an onlooker as a deal was struck by his Swedish partners for Lindelof to sign for Benfica.
And his development in Portugal confirmed the agent’s confidence. It is his belief that United have signed a player who could be at the heart of their defence for years to come.
Honeyman added: “Victor has no airs or graces. He’s intelligent and just a normal, grounded guy.
“He’s a Mourinho type of player – 100 per cent.
“It’s ironic that Manchester United’s boss is reportedly interested in Nemanja Matic because that’s who Victor reminds me of physically. He is a big, athletic, solid player.
“Mourinho likes his players to be powerful. Victor still has some development in him.
“And with Eric Bailly, he could form the backbone of thathat Manchester United team m for a good few years.
Business
“He can also smash in na a free-kick from 30 yards. But that’s not what they have ave signed him for.
“He’s in the team to o stop others playing. And, lookingking at some of the prices being thrownwn about, it’s not a bad bit of business foror Mourinho.”