Summary Manchester United's history of signing high-priced players who later underperform or are sold for major losses continues with Victor Lindelof. Lindelof's market value has declined significantly since joining United, from a peak of £48.5m in January 2021 to just £11m in July 2023. Lindelof's recent performances have been underwhelming, with low ratings, few tackles and interceptions, and a decline in overall defensive metrics. His future at United looks uncertain.
Manchester United have once again spent millions during the summer transfer window as Erik ten Hag looks to build a team which could go toe to toe with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
It remains to be seen whether the big money arrivals of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana will prove to be worth their vast transfer fees, or if they will turn into expensive flops.
The Old Trafford side has a rich history of luring talented players to the club for massively inflated fees, only to see some either under perform during their spell in Manchester or be sold on for a major loss.
Fred is a recent example. The Brazilian midfielder was signed by Jose Mourinho in 2018 for a fee in the region of £52m from Shakhtar Donetsk and following five seasons where he failed to live up to expectations, he left this summer to join Fenerbahce for just €15m (£12.9m), representing nearly a £40m loss.
This isn’t the first time this has happened either. Ángel Di María left after only a season for a lower fee than he was bought for, while Paul Pogba arrived for a staggering £89m fee, which was a world record at the time, before departing on a free transfer just six years later.
Another big money arrival who could well be the next to leave for a fraction of his original price is defender Victor Lindelof, as his valued has tumbled since joining the Premier League club.
How much did Manchester United sign Victor Lindelof for?
The Swede had caught the eye of Mourinho during his spell at Benfica where he made 73 appearances in all competitions and made the move to the Red Devils in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £31m as the Portuguese manager looked to build upon a season which saw him claim three trophies during his maiden campaign.
At just 22 years of age, Lindelof was far from the finished product, but he was clearly looked upon as a player who would improve as time went on while eventually becoming a mainstay at the heart of the United defence.
Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic also arrived at United in big money deals that summer, while Alexis Sanchez joined from Arsenal in January.
What is Victor Lindelof’s market value now?
When he signed for United, his market value was €23.1m (£19.9m) which indicates that Mourinho clearly overpaid in order to secure his signature.
As time went on, his value slowly increased, and it peaked in January 2021, as the defender was valued at €56.5m (£48.5m) and they could have made a profit on the player if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had decided to cash in.
The following two years however has seen his market value tumble from that previous high. According to Football Transfers, as of July 2023, Lindelof is now only valued at €13.3m (£11m) and this represents a staggering decline from just two and a half years ago.
If Ten Hag does decide to sell him either in January or next summer, United will certainly fail to make a profit, suffering yet another major loss.
Why has Victor Lindelof’s market value dropped?
Although he has made 234 appearances for the club during his six years in Manchester, his recent campaigns have been rather underwhelming to say the least.
He played 28 league matches during the 2021/22 season yet was part of a defence that kept just five clean sheets across these matches and he also ranked in a lowly 17th position across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (6.76).
Not only that, Lindelof also ranked 18th for tackles per game (0.6) and eighth for interceptions per game (0.9), indicating that he failed to really make an impact when he did play.
His performances were in decline even before that season, with journalist Rob Blanchette even criticising him in 2020, saying: “No doubt, Lindelof has ability on the ball, but Premier League centre-backs need more. His decision-making can be woeful. It's a big problem for #MUFC. His long term starting role is in question.”
The 6 foot 1 dud only made 20 Premier League appearances last season, failing to rank in the top five across the squad for overall rating, tackles and interceptions.
When compared to positional peers over the previous 12 months, Lindelof fails to even rank in the top 50% across a range of defensive metrics, including tackles, blocks, clearances, interceptions and aerial duels per 90, showing his recent decline.
This clearly demonstrates why his value has deteriorated over the previous few years and what once looked like a defender who could become a regular fixture at the heart of the defence for the foreseeable future.
How much does Victor Lindelof earn?
The 29-year-old currently earns £120k-per-week at the Red Devils, and he has just one more year left before his contract expires.
If Ten Hag wishes to recoup at least some of the £31m fee they shelled out on him six years ago then the Dutchman will need to move him on in January or risk losing him for free next summer if he doesn’t sign an extended contract.
The Swedish centre-back has started just one league match so far this campaign as the former Ajax manager has preferred a defensive partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the other three games, although they have conceded four goals across those games.
It’s evident that United endured somewhat of a howler by signing Lindelof, especially with his dwindling valuation which has slowly crept from a high of £48.5m to a current figure of £11m as of July.
The move could represent the latest in the long line of players who have moved to the Old Trafford side for big money, only to see their valuation drop due to a mix poor performances combined with the club being in turmoil.
Unless something happens to either Martinez or Varane, the defender likely won't start many matches until Christmas and this could potentially see him depart sooner rather than later.