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January Boro transfer target Victor Lindelof has been linked with a £20.5m summer switch to Manchester United.

It is understood United have put in a bid that would trigger the Swedish defender’s release clause at Portuguese side Benfica.

And a host of other giant clubs are watching developments with Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all keen.

Yet Boro three times believed they had a deal in place to bring the red hot Swede to Teesside in the January window.

In a week of wrangling they unravelled a red tape issue with the player’s agent and had agreed a move in principle with the player and Benfica chiefs.

Read more Thursday's Premier League transfer rumours including James Morrison contract talks

Boro had thrashed out a deal that involved a loan move until the end of the season with an option for a permanent deal in the summer at a cut-price fee in the region of £3m plus various add ons.

But the Portuguese twice moved the goalposts as the deadline loomed then an injury to Lisandro Lopez catapulted him into the first team and despite last day haggling the deal couldn’t be resurrected.

(Image: PA/Getty)

The powerful and versatile Swedish central defender has been Boro’s European scouting radar since he was 16 and made the move to Benfica’s Academy after an eye-opening first term in Swedish lower league football.

Boro had watched his progress through the Benfica B team and as he impressed as a late call-up for Sweden’s tournament winning squad for last summer’s Under-21 European Championships, where he clashed swords with Boro’s Ben Gibson.

Lindelof has had a dramatic five months since Boro thought they had him in the bag.

He made his first team league debut while talks were on-going and since then has blossomed, playing 19 games for Benfica including Champions League clashes with Zenit St Petersburg and Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Boro have been linked in the French press with Stade de Reims defender Aissa Mandi.

France-born Algerian international Mandi has played 161 times for the top flight side and has 18 caps having played in the 2014 World Cup and 2015 African Cup of Nations.

Mandi, a right-back or centre back, was heavily linked with Arsenal in January.