Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly set to see a move for Benfica defender Victor Lindelof delayed due to a clause in his contract.
As noted by The Sun, the Swedish international is expected to complete a £42m switch to Old Trafford next month and will go on to form an important part of the club’s push for success for years to come.
However, the 22-year-old could see his transfer held up by a clause in his current deal with Benfica, as it relates to his former club, Vasteras, receiving a payment in the event that he leaves the Portuguese giants.
As per A Bola, the Swedish outfit are demanding €250,000 as it relates to a clause in the deal that took him to Benfica regarding the number of Champions League appearances he has made for them.
It’s added in the report that United are still confident of completing the deal for the January transfer window deadline, and so Mourinho will be hopeful that things stick to the timeline and avoid a situation where he has to wait until the summer.
With Eric Bailly heading to the Africa Cup of Nations next month, the Red Devils could be left short with Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones forced to continue to fill in.
While the pair have been impressive in their defence, Mourinho will undoubtedly hope to be able to field two of his own signings in Bailly and Lindelof through the second half of the campaign and give United the solid base to go out and win games consistently.
In turn, Mourinho will ideally want to secure Lindelof’s signature sooner rather than later and will hope that Benfica do their part by sorting out their issue with Vasteras.