One of Aston Villa’s transfer deadline day signings has discussed his reasons for joining the club while on international duty.
Villa defender Victor Lindelöf had some options after leaving Manchester United at the end of his contract but signed for Villa as a free agent on the day the summer transfer window closed.
United elected not to extend the contract of the out-of-favour Swedish defender, who has missed a number of matches through injury and non-selection in the last two seasons under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. In 2024/25 he started 10 matches in all competitions and made another 18 appearances as a substitute.
Lindelöf didn’t rush his decision and a number of factors came into play as he prepared to leave the club he joined in 2017.
As well as interest from the Saudi Pro League, Lindelöf’s name was linked with clubs including Juventus, Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş, where his former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge until August. Everton, Fiorentina and Bayer Leverkusen were also credited with an interest in the 31-year-old.
Villa’s pursuit came late in the day and Lindelöf has explained his decision to fotbollskanalen.
“I had some interesting options that I talked to my family and agent about, but in the end, I ended up deciding that it was best to come back to England. I am very happy with that decision,” said the Sweden defender.
“The first month I told my agent not to call. I wanted at least a month where I could turn everything off and review what I wanted and didn’t want to do. The first month I did absolutely nothing, and then I started to step it up a bit.
“I turned down a lot during the summer, but it turned out well in the end anyway. I felt it wasn’t right for the family and for me in terms of football.
“I’m not the type of person who wants to go to such a country [Saudi Arabia] and play football. From a family perspective, it doesn’t feel good for the children. I know that Maja, my wife, absolutely wouldn’t have wanted to move there. It was a pretty easy decision for me not to move there.”
Lindelöf switching to Villa didn’t necessitate an upheaval for his family, with Bodymoor Heath within commuting distance for the former Manchester United man.
He joined Villa as the first of three signings on transfer deadline day, agreeing a two-year contract with an option baked in for a one-year extension after the expiry of the original deal in the summer of 2027.
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