Swedish minnows Vasteras are set to receive a substantial windfall that will wipe out their debts after Manchester United agreed a deal to sign Benfica centre-back Victor Lindelof.
United will reportedly pay around £30.75 million (€35m) for Sweden international Lindelof, 22, and his former club Vasteras, who play in Sweden’s third tier, could now receive a payment in the region of €5m after resolving a dispute with Benfica.
Vasteras agreed to sell Lindelof to Benfica in 2011, with the transfer taking place the following summer. The Guardian, in a detailed report into the dispute published last year, said the two clubs agreed a nominal fee of €60,000, with various add-on clauses factored into the deal.
However, Benfica argued that the agreements — which included a €250,000 payment after Lindelof had made 10 first-team starts — expired when he signed a new contract in 2015, prompting the Swedish club to make a formal complaint to FIFA.
Vasteras reportedly felt they were entitled to 20 percent of any transfer fee, which the Daily Mirror claimed prevented United from completing a deal for the player in January.
According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, an agreement was reached over the winter in which Vasteras would receive €3m regardless of whether Lindelof was sold, plus an additional payment of around €2m if the deal went through.
The money is set to clear Vasteras’ debts, which — under Swedish rules — had meant they were ineligible for promotion to the second tier.
Vasteras director Michael Campese told Aftonbladet: “I won’t comment on the actual figure, but of course it’s a fantastic feeling for the club, and great for Victor.
“At the same time, we have to stay sober given the circumstances. We’ve always said we want to build from the ground up and we stand by that. We have to have a long-term plan to build on.
“There are a lot of smart people in and around the club who have known about this agreement for a while, so there’s no big change because it’s now finalised.”
Asked whether they could now target a place in the Allsvenskan — Swedish football’s top flight — he said: “Of course it’s a dream, but at the same time a completely different journey. You have to compose yourself and, as I said, stay sober.”
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