Victor Lindelöf extends Manchester United contract to 2025

Manchester United have extended defender Victor Lindelof’s contract until 2025, according to The Athletic.

Manager Erik Ten Hag has used Lindelof’s availability the most at 18 times this season - more than any other central defender. The Swede is versatile enough to play at left-back too, which has aided his involvement this season, especially when United had no recognised left-back’s available at the start of the season.

The original contract ran to 2024, but United have had a knack of adding an extension trigger in most renewals. They have decided to act on this, and Lindelöf will be expected to feature for the second half of the season once he has recovered from his current injury.

At centre-back, the former Benfica player is seen as an understudy to Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, however an injury crisis in the first half of the season has seen Lindelöf being used more often than initially anticipated.

Jonny Evans has been featuring and playing well lately, so the Northern Irishman may have jumped the pecking order once everyone is available.

Red Devil Armada’s verdict:

Despite being told that INEOS would need to sanction off every signing and renewal, it is odd to see this clause being activated and Lindelöf is probably an asset that is disposable. However, contracts don’t always mean much these days so the club could just be activating it to command a higher fee come the summer, if suitors arrive for the player.

If Lindelof is expected to stay on until 2025, then it is a disappointing deal given the supposed turnaround of player recruitment and strategy under the new football ownership.