Victor Lindelof is expected to leave Manchester United this summer after eight years with the club but Ruben Amorim has still given the defender exactly what he has pleaded for.
Manchester United are heading towards a busy summer transfer window where the club will try and bolster Ruben Amorim’s squad.
There have already been some movements with potential signings as conversations with Matheus Cunha’s agents are ongoing.
However, departures will be equally as important for the Reds as they look to freshen up the options at Amorim’s disposal.
There are players linked with moves away while a small group of players are heading towards the end of their contracts and extensions are unlikely.
Lindelof issued United game-time plea
Victor Lindelof’s contract at United runs out this summer and the Swedish defender is unlikely to receive a renewal, which means he will leave for free once the season ends.
His career at Old Trafford seemed to be heading towards an underwhelming finish after the defender played just 47 minutes of football under Amorim heading into March.
Two last-minute cameos off the bench sandwiched the game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, where Lindelof was forced off with injury.
He did manage to build some sort of momentum at the beginning of March due to injuries elsewhere in the squad, starting three games and completing 90 minutes in two of those before the international break.
During his time away with Sweden, the 30-year-old defender admitted that he wanted to play more regularly heading towards the end of the season.
This was somewhat surprising at the time and caused some stir amongst the fanbase, as it has been clear that he hasn’t been a consistent starter at Old Trafford for a number of years.
“It’s been a while. It felt good. It’s nice to play 90 minutes. I need minutes,” he said on international duty. “We play with very high intensity in the national team, so it’s fun to hold for 90 minutes.”
Amorim has given Lindelof exactly what he wanted
It seemed unlikely that Lindelof’s plea for increased game-time would happen at United before the end of the season but various circumstances have led to Amorim gifting the defender exactly what he wants.
Injuries to the likes of Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt, as well as Harry Maguire being treated carefully by Amorim, has led to more time on the pitch for Lindelof.
In fact, in the nine games since the international break in March, the Swede has played in seven of them and started the crucial Europa League clash with Athletic Club last week.
Lindelof will likely get even more time on the pitch in the closing weeks of the season and that seemed unlikely a couple of months ago.
There is still a level of uncertainty when he plays and it is universally recognised that it is the best decision to see him moved on in the summer, but he could end up being useful in the final games of his United career.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.