Chelsea are reportedly back in contention for SL Benfica defender Victor Lindelof and are prepared to meet the Swede’s £25m release clause in January.

 

Spanish publication Fichajes claim that Victor Lindelof is still a target for Chelsea in the January transfer window. The Blues were heavily linked with a move for the Sweden international earlier in the summer, but subsequent reports suggested the Londoners cooled their interest in the 22-year-old.

However, Fichajes are reporting that Chelsea are still after the signature of Lindelof, who has established himself as a key part of the Benfica defence. Antonio Conte has been unhappy with the defensive efforts of his team despite the addition of David Luiz and Marcos Alonso, and has been rumoured to be on the lookout for further defensive additions to his squad.

Lindelof is equally adept on the right side of the defence and at centre-back, which could be particularly useful to the Italian manager as he starts to introduce a three-man defensive system at Stamford Bridge. Lindelof could prove to be ideal for the right centre-back position in such a setup.

Heading to Stamford Bridge in January? (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Heading to Stamford Bridge in January? (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

Between the summer transfer window and now, a number of clubs have entered the frame for the 22-year-old. Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are reported to be monitoring developments, while a host of Serie A clubs including AC Milan, Napoli, Inter Milan and AS Roma are also linked to the Swedish defender.

The player is contracted to Benfica till 2020, but has a release clause of £25m inserted in the deal, which potential suitors could look to exploit in the upcoming transfer window. Manchester United could attempt to battle Chelsea for the 22-year-old, with Jose Mourinho still on the lookout for defensive additions.

It would be interesting to see how the transfer story revolving Lindelof develops and which clubs table a real offer to Benfica come January. However, it appears certain that Chelsea will be among the clubs most interested in signing Lindelof as Antonio Conte looks to freshen up his ageing Blues defence.

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