Manchester United face a dilemma when it comes to one player in particular.
Victor Lindelof is a candidate to be sold this summer but before the club listens to offers for their number two, Erik Ten Hag must work out how to cover for the injured Luke Shaw.
Shaw’s latest setback will see him miss the remainder of the season, leaving United majorly exposed at left-back. Lindelof filled in after his teammate withdrew at halftime against Luton Town last weekend, but it was clear the Sweden international was well out of his depth and unfamiliar with the role.
Although the Red Devils managed to hold on to claim all three points, Lindelof’s stand-in performance at left-back was a major concern and could have easily been the reason for dropped points.
Victor Lindelof to leave Man United in summer?
And according to transfer expert Dean Jones, should Ten Hag continue to play the 29-year-old in that role, and his performances worsen, the player’s value would decrease ahead of an important summer transfer window.
“Manchester United fans would be fearful of Lindelof at full-back, and it’s definitely not ideal,” he told GiveMeSport.
“In fact, it could prove harmful in a number of ways if he does play there again and it goes badly.
“One of the main things would be confidence in the player, but more than that, from a club perspective, I’m wondering about his value.
“I have heard that Lindelof is one of the players under threat this summer, as Manchester United look to move players on so that they can refresh the squad.
“Any high-profile errors are not going to help their case, and we’ve already seen plenty of times before how Manchester United get stuck with players they can’t offload if they fall into a bad rut of form. This is risky ground, and he is really going to have a lot to prove if he does step into the role.”
Man United are believed to be prioritising a new striker and defender at the end of the season — this would leave Lindelof exposed, and, just like Raphael Varane, probably in search of a new club.
Since joining the Red Devils from Benfica in 2017, Lindelof, who has 18 months left on his contract, has directly contributed to 11 goals in 252 games in all competitions.