 "United's hopes of signing Sporting midfielder Hjulmand ahead of transfer deadline fade away; here’s why")
Manchester United’s hopes of further bolstering their squad after a complete overhaul of their attack this summer took a hit with their pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand reportedly hitting a roadblock of sorts. The Danish defensive midfielder was an ideal alternative for the Red Devils after their quest to sign Brighton and Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba fell through.
And the fact that Hjulmand had already played under manager Ruben Amorim when the latter was in charge of Sporting was another reason only added to United’s interest in him, with the English giants reportedly ready to shell out £34 million ($46 million) for his services.
According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha, Sporting president Frederico Varandas has blocked Hjulmand’s move to United – or any another club for that matter, and is determined to keep the Dane at the José Alvalade Stadium.
Will a raise motivate Hjulmand to stay at Sporting?
Hjulmand, after all, is seen as a key member of Rui Borges’ squad, because of which Varandas plans on rewarding him with a new deal that will include a raise in his wages. The 26-year-old had joined Sporting from Serie A club Lecce for £15.8 million in 2023, and has another three years left in his current contract.
Besides United, Hjulmand had also reportedly attracted the interest of United’s city rivals Manchester City, and also had the option of a move back to Italy with Juventus.
United, desperately for a revival in their fortunes after finishing 15th in the league last season, have spent more than £200 million on the attacking trio of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, while signing Paraguayan defender for £7 million.
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The club’s management, however, was not willing to shell out £100 million that Brighton had demanded for Baleba , forcing them to look elsewhere.
United began the 2025-26 season with a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal at the Old Trafford on Sunday, thanks to a first-half error by goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
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