King of passing, more tackling to do - How does Lindelof measure up to current Man Utd defenders?

The January window might well not be open yet, and Jose Mourinho might have insisted he's not counting down the days until the New Year sales come around, but Manchester United are on the verge of clinching the €45 million signing of central defender Victor Lindelof.

The 6ft 2in Swede has been a rock at the heart of a Benfica side which has opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Primeira Liga in Portugal, with only seven points dropped all season and just eight goals conceded in 15 games to date.

But what do Lindelof's individual stats look like and how does he measure up against United's current defensive stock? 'Goal' takes a look at the stat-by-stat comparison.

One of the by-products of Benfica's dominance so far this term is that Lindelof has had less tackling to do than might be required in the Premier League. The 22-year-old has put in only 35 per cent of the tally racked up by Antonio Valencia over the course of the season despite both men having started 14 league games this term.

Even in Benfica's Champions League campaign, in which they finished second behind Napoli in Group B, Lindelof made only four tackles over the course of his six appearances. To put that into context, Matteo Darmian committed 13 tackles in only three Europa League group fixtures!

The 11-cap Sweden international certainly has sparkling attributes in his locker. His height is a huge draw, while he has a wonderful passing percentage for a centre-half. His conversion rate this season is second only to Chris Smalling among United defenders. His clearances tally is also high considering the lack of pressure applied on Benfica's defensive unit at times this season, with his more-than-competitive interception rate promoting his ability to read the game well.

Lindelof's comfort on the ball is perhaps his most attractive attribute. His commanding presence at the back is boosted by his quality in carrying possession from the back, and his technical ability with the ball at his feet could come in hugely handy for United, particularly given the tendency at times for Michael Carrick to be over-burdened by his importance in starting attacks from deep. The big centre-back's quality in possession could help to take responsibility away from other areas and give United more options when building play from the back.

One key area which is always underlined when judging the Premier League quality of a player is the physical element, and Lindelof will certainly be asked more questions in the air than has been the case in the Portuguese league. Despite playing five games fewer than Lindelof this season, Marcos Rojo has been called upon to make 49 headed clearances in the league at an average of 5.44 per game, as opposed to Lindelof's tally of 20 in 14 games in the Primeira Liga at a rate of 1.43.

The Swede's height and physical presence suggest he has the ability to deal with the differing workload, but he will definitely have to come to terms with a very altered type of football when eventually arriving in England to begin life as a Manchester United player.