Victor Lindelof has not come off the pitch for Aston Villa this season. The Sweden centre-back has played every minute of the club’s campaign in all competitions, including a 6-0 Champions League rout of Fenerbahce on 14 October that stands as Villa’s biggest European win on record.

The player Manchester United were happy to let walk is now the one Emery cannot leave out. Lindelof leads Villa’s 2026-27 squad in minutes played (1,080), touches (720), accurate passes (568), line-breaking passes (97) and clearances (70), according to a Villa statistical review published this week.

Signed on a free after Vasteras SK training

Lindelof arrived at Villa Park in September 2025 on a free transfer after United declined to extend his contract. He had been training in Sweden with his hometown club Vasteras SK and chose Villa over interest from Everton and Fiorentina, as ESPN reported at the time. The deal runs to June 2027 with a club option for a further year.

Thirteen months on, he was a Europa League winner, a Champions League starter and the central figure in a defence that has helped Villa win seven of their last eight matches.

Read also: Michael Carrick given 12 days to save his Man Utd job as three names emerge

‘He lost his way at Manchester United’

Bryan King, the former Villa scout who recommended several Scandinavian signings to the club, told Yahoo Sports that the resurgence has been the surprise of Villa’s season.

“He’s got pace. I think he lost his way at Man United. I saw him when he was playing for Benfica.”

King compared Lindelof’s recovery to Olof Mellberg’s run at Villa in the 2000s and said the defender had been “probably one of the best players that Aston Villa ever signed.”

United keep Carrick in post for Chelsea trip

The contrast at Old Trafford is unforgiving. Manchester United sit 16th in the Premier League, a single point above the relegation zone, after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth on 25 October extended Michael Carrick’s winless run to eight matches across all competitions.

Read also: Harry Kane’s Ballon d’Or win has given him an expensive problem

United’s senior officials met on Monday to discuss Carrick’s position and opted to keep him in charge for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea.

“I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal, and I love this place,” Carrick told reporters, according to Al Jazeera.

Emery picks Villa at the Ballon d’Or

United’s search for alternatives has included Villa’s own manager. Unai Emery, who turned Villa into Europa League winners last season and has qualified them for the Champions League twice in three years, shut the door himself at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on 26 October.

The Spaniard arrived at the Palladium in a tailored Villa suit alongside midfielder Johan Manzambi, who had been nominated for the Kopa Trophy.

Read also: Jake Paul eyes Christmas Eve return as former UFC star demands a contract

“Aston Villa is where I am feeling now so, so comfortable,” Emery told reporters at the gala, according to Yahoo Sports.

Villa are now trying to tie Lindelof down beyond the summer of 2027. Contract extension talks with Emery and the board are under way, with his current deal still carrying a 12-month club option.

Read also: INEOS coach on Bernal retirement talk: “he’ll be back as normal for 2027”