Manchester United’s drab goalless draw against Leeds United in their first pre-season friendly showed Ruben Amorim exactly where he needed to strengthen.
In the first-half, the head coach inexplicably chose to play Toby Collyer as one of the attacking midfielders while partnering Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in the middle of the park.
Both got overrun, with the skipper’s lack of positional discipline and the Brazilian’s lack of pace exposed. After the game, Amorim admitted that his midfielders failed to control the tempo due to the lack of legs.
“We suffered a little bit when we tried to press high, they kick the ball, win the second ball and they were a danger in that moment,” Amorim explained.
Lack of pace in midfield
“We have a lack of pace, especially in the middle of the park, and you can feel it, so that’s hard to bring the ball forward.”
The only way to fix this is by recruiting a deep-lying playmaker who has energy and the passing ability to create from deep. And as per recent reports, the head coach seemed to be keen on a reunion with his former Sporting CP protege Morten Hjulmand.
But as per Givemesport, the Danish star’s release clause and Sporting’s tough negotiating stance makes a deal highly unlikely.
The 26-year-old’s release clause stands at £70 million, and as seen from Sporting’s antics with Arsenal over the transfer of Viktor Gyokeres, it is clear that the Portuguese side will be adamant when it comes to the midfielder as well.
“Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has been deterred from attempting to lure Morten Hjulmand to Old Trafford as there are ongoing concerns that Sporting will not be prepared to listen to offers which fall short of the release clause written into his contract, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Morten Hjulmand deal unlikely
“The Denmark international has a release clause worth close to £70million written into his contract and, having seen sides struggle to wrestle Gyokeres away from Primeira Liga heavyweights Sporting, the Red Devils expect that they will face an uphill battle to reach an agreement if they opt to head to the negotiating table.
“Influential figures at Manchester United are adamant that it will be almost impossible to sign Hjulmand at a reasonable price due to his current employers standing firm on their valuation of squad members, GMS sources have learned, leading to other options on the market being assessed behind the scenes.”
Amorim needs a new midfielder, something INEOS are aware of, but as previously relayed on The Peoples Person, a loan or low-cost acquisition is the most likely outcome.
Douglas Luiz fits the bill in that regard. Now it remains to be seen when the midfield signing gets completed.
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
