Manchester United will be targeting a new midfielder next year after missing out on landing one this summer.
Ruben Amorim clearly wanted INEOS to sign Carlos Baleba, but following the splurge to land three attackers, there was no chance of the Red Devils coming close to matching Brighton’s valuation.
Alternative options were subsequently explored, but Atletico Madrid refused to sanction Conor Gallagher’s loan exit, while Angelo Stiller of VfB Stuttgart turned down a move to Old Trafford.
Chelsea did not entertain the possibility of Romeo Lavia jumping ship while Sporting CP refused to let Morten Hjulmand reunite with Amorim, as they would be left short on quality.
Hjulmand chase
The Dane ended up staying but not for long, as per A Bola. They have claimed that the club captain agreed to stay this summer but will be leaving in 2026.
“Morten Hjulmand is preparing to play his final season with the Lions on his chest. He will be one of the Lions’ big sales next summer.”
“The Dane, who was signed from Lecce in the summer of 2023 for €18 million, has now agreed to stay, with his departure postponed for a year.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas thanked the midfielder for staying put despite interest from Italy and United, and indicated that a separation was coming very soon.
Leaving next year
“Morten was set to leave for Italy, and I have to give him credit, because our captain turned down several offers to earn three times as much and, after talking to the board, agreed to stay for over a year,” revealed Varandas, after the midfielder was targeted by Juventus and Inter, as well as United.
Morten Hjulmand had a €80 million release clause this summer, which has since expired. He will definitely cost less than Baleba.
The 20-time English league champions are prepared to break the British transfer record for the Cameroonian and a midfielder is definitely on the agenda in January.
Should INEOS sign someone like Ruben Neves in January, there might be less space for the Sporting skipper. Whether the Dane gets left behind due to his physicality issues will be intriguing to see.
Feature image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
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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
