Former United boss lines up as spoiler-in-chief to derail Ineos’ chase for “one of Europes best DMs” – report

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Morten Hjulmand may be under threat, given the latest reports from Italy. It is no secret that the Red Devils want to reshape their midfield this summer. Casemiro has left, and Manuel Ugarte is one of the players the club needs to upgrade on. United, therefore, have every motivation to invest wisely and assemble a midfield Michael Carrick can rely on as his side battles on multiple fronts next season. Ederson is set to finalise his move from Atalanta following his medical after Brazil’s World Cup campaign, with a £35 million plus £3.8 million deal agreed for his Old Trafford switch. But the Brazilian is just one of at least three midfielders the Manchester Reds are hoping to sign this summer. A double midfield swoop remains anticipated. While the second signing could be Mateus Fernandes, the identity of the third midfielder is still unclear. Could be Morten Hjulmand Other than Ederson and Fernandes, Hjulmand could be that third midfield signing. The Sporting CP midfielder is expected to leave Lisbon this summer, and United have repeatedly emerged as his likely destination. During his time in Portugal, Hjulmand has established himself as “one of Europe’s best defensive midfielders“. He excels at controlling the tempo of a match, recycling possession and breaking up opposition attacks without needing to be overly aggressive, qualities Carrick could well be seeking in his Casemiro replacement. United have been persistently linked with his services, with the transfer speculation continuing even after Ruben Amorim’s exit. At one point, it seemed as though the former Sporting CP manager was actively pushing Ineos to sign the Dane. He has since departed, yet the 26-year-old remains wanted at Old Trafford. Now, as United consider finally moving for him this summer, Sky Sports Italy have revealed why Amorim, just appointed at AC Milan, may yet act as spoiler-in-chief in that pursuit. Amorim wants Hjulmand at AC Milan The Italian source reports: “Ruben Amorim era begins at AC Milan. The Portuguese has already defined his first transfer targets with the club, which could be two of his protégés. These are Morten Hjulmand, formerly of Lecce, who performed so well under him at Sporting (so much so that the coach wanted to bring him to Manchester, but the conditions weren’t right).” It will be interesting to see whether Amorim flips the script in the Hjulmand race. Before moving to Portugal, the midfielder turned out for Lecce in Italy, and he may yet be tempted to return to familiar surroundings under a manager he knows well. But would he truly turn down a move to the Theatre of Dreams? Like any top footballer worth his salt, hopefully, he understands that Man United come calling only once. So if they come for him, that is a move too good to turn down. Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Daniel Onguko Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.