Man Utd fans don’t want Victor Lindelof to play at left-back

Highlights

• Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been urged to drop Victor Lindelof to the bench for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City after struggling against Fulham.
• There are doubts over the Sweden international’s long-term future as AC Milan are among a number of clubs circling for his signature.
• Respected journalist Dean Jones believes Manchester United supporters will be fearful of suffering a heavy defeat if Lindelof remains at left-back.

Manchester United star Victor Lindelof should be dropped from the starting line-up for this weekend’s clash with Manchester City as his teammates and members of the fanbase will not feel ‘secure’ with him being deployed at left-back, and journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that the Sweden international has found himself in a ‘really awkward situation’ at Old Trafford.

Luke Shaw – who is Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag’s first-choice option on the left-hand side of the defence – has been ruled out of action for a number of months after sustaining a muscle injury during the win at Luton Town earlier this month, putting his hopes of featuring at Euro 2024 in jeopardy.

The 28-year-old’s setback presented Lindelof with an opportunity to nail down a regular starting berth, but he was unable to stop Manchester United from suffering their first defeat since December 30 when Fulham sealed a late victory last weekend, ending a run of five wins on the bounce.

AC Milan among suitors keeping tabs on Lindelof

Lindelof’s days in a Manchester United shirt could be numbered as, according to Spanish sources, Serie A heavyweights AC Milan are monitoring his situation ahead of potentially heading to the negotiating table with a formal offer when the transfer window reopens for business in the summer.

The report suggests that ten Hag is mulling over whether to cash in on the central defender, who joined the Red Devils in a £40million switch from Benfica in June 2017, after he has also attracted interest from several Premier League rivals and big-spenders in the Saudi Pro League.

Lindelof only made his 11th Premier League start of the season during the stoppage time loss to Fulham last weekend, after struggling to secure regular game time at Manchester United, and statistics highlight that he does not offer as much as Shaw in the left-back berth.

Transfer insider Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Lindelof’s Manchester United career is ‘under threat’ as ten Hag has set his sights on making adjustments to the squad after Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge of football operations by becoming a minority shareholder in the club.

It is understood that the central defender is likely to join a number of teammates in being made available in the summer because the INEOS chief executive is planning to sanction a significant overhaul after his investment has resulted in the Red Devils not being at risk of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

Manchester United are considering whether to make Lindelof available in a swap deal which would see France international Benjamin Pavard head in the opposite direction from Italian giants Inter Milan, resulting in a switch to the San Siro being a possibility in the coming months.

Dean Jones – Lindelof could get exposed at any time against Man City

Jones believes that ten Hag would have other members of his starting line-up on edge if he chooses to name Lindelof in the left-back position for the Manchester derby on Sunday as the defeat to Fulham emphasised that he is uncomfortable and struggles when deployed away from his preferred role at the heart of the backline.

The respected journalist feels that the 29-year-old, who is on a contract worth £120,000-per-week, needs to be dropped to the bench for the trip to the Etihad Stadium as he could face serious difficulties when attempting to deal with the likes of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“He is obviously in a difficult situation because it is clear that Lindelof is not a left-back. As soon as Luke Shaw suffered his injury, there were fears in the Manchester United fanbase that this is what we would be seeing, and that’s the case.

“He didn’t come out of the Fulham game very well, and that was after coming up against the likes of Harry Wilson and Timothy Castagne. While they can both be very good on their day, he is going to be facing bigger tests imminently.

“They face Manchester City this weekend, and there is no way any Man United fan – and I doubt any Manchester United player – would feel particularly secure knowing that Victor Lindelof could get exposed on the left-side of that defence at any moment in time. It’s a really awkward situation.”

Forson edging towards sealing Old Trafford departure

Academy graduate Omari Forson could head through the Manchester United exit door during the summer, according to The Athletic, after he has delayed signing the competitive terms that have been offered after entering the final six months of his current agreement at Old Trafford.

The report suggests that the 19-year-old winger was not handed his fourth senior start during the defeat to Fulham in a bid to convince him to pen a new contract, but because he is highly-regarded by ten Hag and the Dutch tactician felt the teenager gave the Red Devils a better chance of sealing three points than if Antony was selected.

Reputable journalist Steve Bates recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Manchester United chief could clash with Ratcliffe when they decide whether to sell Antony in the summer, which would leave them short of wide options, so Forson’s departure would come as a further blow as preparations are made for the 2024/25 campaign.

Although Forson was only handed a 6.3 match rating by WhoScored as he made his first senior start, and he was hauled off as the Red Devils searched for a way back into the contest against Fulham, his performance was defended by ten Hag when questioned in his post-match press conference.

The ex-Ajax head coach insisted that the teenager was involved in ‘some good actions’ and his display was ‘reasonable’ as Manchester United’s attempts to make a late charge for the Champions League qualification places suffered a significant setback last weekend.

All statistics courtesy of FBref and WhoScored