Man Utd star 'is leaving' this summer as talk of tempting Serie A offer amplifies
A report has confirmed that an unsettled Man Utd player will be departing the club in the summer, providing a hint as to where he will end up.
After deciding to keep as many players as possible in January, Man Utd might have to reassess some of their futures at the end of the season. Their strategy was to keep several squad members on board during the course of the campaign while they were pursuing their on-field objectives.
But in between seasons, there should be more scope for them to change aspects of their squad. In particular, a few of their defensive options will be wondering what the future holds.
At centre-back, Man Utd have largely relied on Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez this season. Some of the players behind them in the pecking order may feel worthy of playing more elsewhere.
The 28-year-old has only started five matches in the Premier League this season. Along the way, he has been dealing with a broken toe, which has understandably somewhat hampered him.
But if he can get back to his physical peak, there is plenty of time remaining in Lindelof’s career. With that in mind, he won’t want to settle for being a rotation player for much longer.
Indeed, he recently admitted as much in an interview while on international duty with Sweden. Lindelof said he will “have to re-evaluate” his status at club level before next season.
Things appear to be escalating quickly, because Tuttosport now reports that Lindelof “is leaving” Man Utd this summer.
Specifically, he has become a potential target for Inter Milan, who are about to lose Milan Skriniar on a free transfer. Also out of contract in June are fellow Nerazzurri defenders Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Danilo D’Ambrosio.
Furthermore, Inter will risk losing Alessandro Bastoni, whose terms are only due to run until the end of next season.
Therefore, there is an obvious need for Inter to reinforce their backline. In that regard, they have been “offered” the services of Lindelof.
An alternative for Inter would be Merih Demiral, but the link with Lindelof is one to keep a close eye on.
Lindelof could leave Man Utd for Inter – and justifiably so
It is not yet a certainty that Lindelof will complete the transfer to Inter. However, they appear to be his most likely takers at this stage, after a Man Utd exit that seems bound to happen.
Across his whole Man Utd spell, which began in 2017, Lindelof has made 217 appearances. It could soon be time for the former Benfica man to undertake a new challenge, though.
Playing in Serie A would be something completely new for him. Doing so with Inter could be a decent opportunity, since he will have a decent chance of being in the Champions League with them.
It would also enable him to reunite with former Man Utd teammates, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian.
And given the changes expected to Inter’s backline, Lindelof could theoretically inherit more responsibility there than he has had at Man Utd this season.
This isn’t the first time he has been linked with Simone Inzaghi’s side, and it seems likely there will be more to come.
