Previewing the Transfer - Victor Lindelof

With the January transfer window about to swing open, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the transfers which are rumoured to take place and how they play out in-game.

First up is Swedish defender Victor Lindelof, currently plying his trade at Benfica, but who has been linked with Manchester United. The Old Trafford club have denied the move, but that doesn't mean anything in this day and age.

Let's look at his stats at the start of the game:

Nothing outstanding there (decisions and positioning aside) but for that asking price you're looking at potential, and this boy has it in spades.

So, moving on to the transfer itself - in real life, the cost of the deal is rumoured to be £42million. In game? Not so much. After going in at his January asking price of £21.5million, I took part in a bidding war with Juventus and finally managed to see them off at £27.5million - a near £15million saving on real life.

The kicker? Despite being on less that £7k per week at Benfica, the young Swede demanded £110k per week for me, and wouldn't budge. However, it might all prove to be worth it, as....

The fans are delighted to see the Swede come in to the club - I'm not sure the reaction will be the same if this comes off for real, but I might be wrong!

So, how does his first half-season at Old Trafford shape up? Well, with an intensive training programme, his stats shoot up:

All of the key attributes for a defender are there - aerial ability, tackling, positioning, stamina, strength, and pace as well. He can't shoot and his aggression is low, but that isn't too bad. His value has also dropped from £47.5million on signing day to £29million at the end of the season, so still more than he was signed for.

How do his stats translate into performances I hear you ask?

Great form in the league, but not so much everywhere else. Looking at the number of appearances, it's clear that he walks straight into the team instead of sitting on the bench. It might be worth noting that most of those games were played in defensive midfield, rather than in defence, so could that attribute for the better-than-expected return on goals and assists? Maybe so.

Finally, what do the staff think?

A whole raft of positive comments and not one single negative? I'll take that.

So it looks like Victor Lindelof, should he move to Manchester United, could develop into a very good player indeed. But will the transfer come off? Only time will tell. 

Let me know your thoughts? Are there any other rumoured transfers you'd like to see previewed?

[prashant291099]

But maybe he might not be able to show up his skills or have a good playing time. mourinho largely favours Smalling, Rojo and Bailly and Man U already have 5-6 Central Defenders, so he might be a benchwarmer or a Pre-Season guinea.

[PhiLiz]

On 31/12/2016 at 07:19, prashant291099 said:

But maybe he might not be able to show up his skills or have a good playing time. mourinho largely favours Smalling, Rojo and Bailly and Man U already have 5-6 Central Defenders, so he might be a benchwarmer or a Pre-Season guinea.

Kek. I'm really hoping he stays where he is but if he moves he'll be immediately and by far the best CB at Manure. And he's not even at his best in this first months of the season but comparing to the liabilities you mentioned he's way above. 

[phila]

Id say its pretty nailed on that Lindelof (and Fonte) are going to end up at ManU. Rojo is being shopped around apparently so Id say Mourinho isnt as big a fan as first thought. With Jones likely to go as well, they will likely need Lindelof and Fonte - who in my opinion are upgrades and will make ManU stronger (damn)