Manchester United are unlikely to sign Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand this summer, The Transfers Podcast understands.
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The Red Devils are admirers of the Denmark international, with the interest in Hjulmand driven particularly by Ruben Amorim. The former Sporting CP boss is a huge fan of the midfielder, previously describing him as a more complete player than predecessors Joao Palhinha and Manuel Ugarte.
Unsurprisingly, then, suitors have emerged for the Dane, who is a boyhood Arsenal fan and even has the Gunners’ badge tattooed on his left arm. The most concrete interest, though, has not come from North London but from Manchester.
However, The Transfers Podcast, presented by Duncan Castles, can now reveal that Man Utd are facing an uphill battle if they wish to sign Hjulmand this summer as Sporting have no intention of offering discounts.
Hjulmand to Man Utd unlikely
Hjulmand has an €80 million release clause in his contract, which Sporting are pointing to as a benchmark for his transfer fee. The Portuguese champions are under no pressure to sell after cashing in on Viktor Gyokeres.
Hjulmand, for his part, is keen on a move to the Premier League, and Castles understands that his representatives believe that a €50 million price tag is fair value for the Dane. However, Sporting are unlikely to sanction his exit for a cut price after the unsavoury Gyokeres saga.
“I do not see Man Utd having the wherewithal to pay the release clause for the 26-year-old. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is very high for a player from the Portuguese league at €54.9m, which gives you an indication of the level of his talent,” Castles explained on the latest episode of The Transfers Podcast.
“Obviously, it would be a great acquisition for Amorim if he could make it happen because he would be getting a player he knows and trusts, knows what he is capable of doing, who knows his system inside out. But that one looks very difficult for United to do.”
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