In a desperate attempt to change his team’s fortunes, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing Benfica defender Victor Lindelof.

After taking charge of the Old Trafford outfit, Mourinho signed centre-back Eric Bailly from Villarreal but still wants to bolster his backline. The former Chelsea boss is currently going through a defensive crisis at the moment with Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, and Eric Bailly all sidelined. He recently criticized Smalling for his reluctance to play against Swansea and reports claim that the Portuguese tactician wants to have a solid backup for such situations.

Moreover, Lindelof’s versatility will be another reason for Mourinho to chase the Benfica defender. The Sweden international can play as a centre-back as well as a right-back. With Matteo Darmian completely out of favor, Mourinho has preferred Antonio Valencia as a right-back. Darmian is attracting interest from several clubs and Lindelof can be a good replacement.

Portuguese news outlet A Bola has reported that the Red Devils are planning a bid for the 22-year-old Swede in the upcoming transfer window. The report claimed that Lindelof has a £26 million release clause and United are willing to meet it.

However, Mourinho is set to face a stiff challenge from several clubs in his pursuit of the highly-rated defender. United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea have been eyeing the defender for a long time. Juventus, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in securing the services of the defender.

Meanwhile, Benfica is also desperate to keep hold of their talented defender. Lindelof, who joined the Portuguese outfit in 2012, is under contract at the club until 2020 but the club is planning a new lucrative deal for the player to ward off interests.