Sporting Lisbon president Frederico Varandas has told potential suitors that Man United target Morten Hjulmand won’t leave for a fee below his release clause, according to reports in Portugal.
It was claimed a couple of weeks ago by an Italian reporter that the Red Devils had tabled a €40m (£34.7m) offer for the Denmark international.
There have been subsequent stories linking Hjulmand with a move to Juventus for a similar figure, but A BOLA says Varandas has made it clear to interested clubs how much they will have to pay.
Any proposal below the Sporting captain’s €80m (£69m) buyout fee is expected to be rejected between now and the transfer deadline on September 1st.
Why has Hjulmand been linked with United?
Respected sources have claimed that head coach Ruben Amorim is hoping to bring in a defensive midfielder, along with a goalkeeper and a striker, before the transfer window shuts.
As Hjulmand was named captain by Amorim last summer, some have put two and two together and assumed that the Dane would be one of the options considered.
However, his reported price tag would undoubtedly put off the Red Devils from making a move for him.
Are there any alternatives under consideration?
Over the last couple of months, the likes of Atalanta’s Ederson, Brentford’s Frank Onyeka, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba have all been mentioned as potential targets to strengthen in the middle of the park.
At this moment in time, though, it seems that United are prioritising other positions. Signing a striker is the primary focus, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko the no.1 target. Although a bid for the Slovenian international has not been lodged yet, it is believed that an offer will be officially made if they get the signal from the player that he wants to join them.
Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World’s Football News Network.
