Former Benfica coach Rui Vitoria has revealed Victor Lindelof could've joined a Championship club before his move to Manchester United.

Lindelof spent four years with Benfica, having previously played for the Portuguese side in his youth, before he joined United in 2017.

But Vitoria says Jose Mourinho many not have got his man had Lindelof left Benfica for the Championship.

“Victor, one or two weeks from closing the winter market, comes to my office and says to me and Rui Costa, that he wanted to leave because he had an offer from a second English league club and he wanted to go because he wanted to play more," he said.

"I told him 'it's very close, your door is about to open, there is only one opportunity that may arise.

“And he agreed to stay. Then there is an injury from Luisão, another from Lisandro and when he entered he was ready.

“Today he is in England and in one of the biggest clubs in the world because he knew how to wait for his opportunity.

“Our strategy was to have two, three experienced centrals and a newer one: we did it with Lindelof, then with Rúben Dias and we were also going to do it with Ferro.

“And they were players who, when they entered, were ready."