Manchester United are steeling themselves for a summer transfer battle for Victor Lindelof after rivals Manchester City entered the race to sign the defender.
United were unsuccessful in their attempts to bring Lindelof to Old Trafford in the January transfer window, and they could be left to rue not sealing a deal for the centre-back if a report in Portuguese news outlet O Jogo is anything to go by.
The paper claims that City boss Pep Guardiola is ready to step on United's toes and try to lure Lindelof across the city of Manchester to the Etihad Stadium instead - a move that would infuriate Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho due to the pair's long standing feud from their time in La Liga.
United had appeared on the cusp of signing Lindelof in a £38m deal when the winter window opened at the turn of the year, with some reports going as far as to say that the Sweden international was due to be handed the number two shirt at the club.
Rumours over the possible switch went quiet as quickly as they arrived, however, after a snag in the transfer seemed to surface and prevent Mourinho from swooping for one of his primary targets.
Both United and City harbour ambitions of strengthening their defensive options in the close season as both Mourinho and Guardiola plot a route to the Premier League title next season.
My dream 4 signings for Man Utd this summer :
- Victor Lindelof
- Fabinho
- Antoine Griezmann
- Saul Niguez
���👌👌👌#MUFC #Transfers
The duo have fallen short of challenging for this year's crown and, with a plethora of options available to them in their attacking ranks, shoring up at the back will be the primary aim for the Portuguese and Catalan bosses ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.
United are believed to have first refusal if Lindelof becomes available again in the summer but, with City and other top European sides such as Inter Milan and Real Madrid interested, another protracted transfer saga appears to be in the offing for the 20-time English top flight champions.
Benfica stand to make a massive profit on Lindelof after they brought him to Portugal for a paltry £2.6m fee back in July 2012. The 22-year-old has proven to be a bargain for his side since his switch from Vasteras VK in his homeland, and has revelled in the starting lineup for Rui Vitoria's side since his debut in October 2013.
Lindelof has since gone on to accumulate 59 appearances for Benfica's first-team, and has helped his club pick up six trophies in four years, including two Portuguese first division titles.
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