Manchester United are in the market for a new midfielder this summer, and Ruben Amorim could look to raid Sporting.
Manchester United snapped up Bryan Mbeumo last week, finally bringing the Brentford attacker to Old Trafford.
Mbeumo joins Matheus Cunha in United’s attack, and Ruben Amorim must now look to bolster other positions.
A striker is likely to be targeted, with United keen on signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
United also need to explore midfield additions, with Christian Eriksen gone and Toby Collyer potentially leaving on loan.
Douglas Luiz has been linked with United, but Amorim may be tempted to look back towards his Sporting days.
Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty ImagesMorten Hjulmand stance on summer transfer
Amorim has inherited one of his former Sporting midfielders, reuniting with Manuel Ugarte upon taking the United job.
After Sporting sold Ugarte to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, Sporting replaced him with Danish ace Morten Hjulmand, luring him from Italian side Lecce.
Hjulmand has been the heartbeat of the Sporting side ever since, even becoming captain last year following Sebastian Coates’ exit.
Amorim actually preferred Hjulmand to Ugarte, and it’s no surprise to see United being linked with a move for the Sporting captain this summer.
Reports from Italy earlier in July suggested that Hjulmand wants to leave Sporting this summer and was fighting his £69million release clause in an attempt to leave for a cheaper fee.
The Portuguese press are contesting those claims, though, as A Bola report that Hjulmand is actually happy to stay at Sporting for another year.
Hjulmand is allegedly ‘comfortable’ at Sporting and would relish the chance to chase another league title – a third in a row.
Sporting are sticking to a demand of €80million (£69million), with Juventus interested but unwilling to reach that price tag.
It’s unlikely that United will meet those demands either, and Hjulmand may actually take himself out of contention for a move to United.
Manchester United interest in Morten Hjulmand may disappear
Reports from Calciomercato suggest that United have offered €40million (£34.5million) for Hjulmand, which appears to be wide of the mark as things stand.
Amorim will be keeping tabs on Hjulmand’s situation in the hope of a reunion, but Sporting’s haggling over Viktor Gyokeres showed just how difficult it is to take players away from Lisbon.
Hjulmand looks set to stay with Sporting, and his decision to stay one more year may just rule out a move to United for good.
Come next summer, Hjulmand will be 27 and Sporting may still demand a huge fee; if not his release clause, then still a hefty price tag for their captain and midfield maestro.
United have mostly focused on signing younger players under Ineos, and any targets over the age of 25 now tend to be Premier League-proven.
Hjulmand does not fit that bill, and United’s interest may fade away unless Amorim can make a strong case for continuing the pursuit into 2026.