Erik ten Hag has firmly rejected Eintracht Frankfurt’s attempts to acquire Victor Lindelof during the upcoming summer transfer window, deeming the Manchester United defender as indispensable to his plans.
Ten Hag turned to Lindelof after Lisandro Martinez suffered a season-ending injury in April. Lindelof showcased his talent by featuring in all of United’s last nine league matches, as well as the FA Cup semi-final and final against Brighton and Manchester City.
Despite Raphael Varane’s return from injury, Lindelof consistently outperformed Harry Maguire at the heart of United’s defense towards the end of the season, earning accolades from his manager.
While Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid were rebuffed during the January transfer window, there were reports that Lindelof could be among the players potentially leaving the club in a summer clear-out.
Bild reported that Frankfurt, who were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Lindelof in January, recently expressed renewed interest as they seek to find a replacement for Evan Ndicka, who is set to depart upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
However, according to the German publication, Frankfurt’s hopes of securing the services of the Swedish international are slim, as ten Hag is determined to retain him.
Erik ten Hag has never changed position on Victor Lindelöf — he’s untouchable. Same message sent to Atlético & Inter last January still valid now. 🔴⛔️ #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 9, 2023
Eintracht were never in concrete talks with Man United. Atlético and Inter were keen on signing him but no chance. pic.twitter.com/iRJJkWLTc7
Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano supported this claim by stating that Manchester United’s manager considers Lindelof “untouchable,” indicating that any further attempts to sign him in the summer are likely to be rejected.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are actively seeking to reinforce their defensive options and have been linked with a move for Napoli’s star center-back, Kim Min-Jae.