Forget Wharton & Baleba: Man Utd can improve their midfield with a £36m bargain instead
Manchester United are expected to be in the market for a midfielder following Casemiro’s decision to leave at the end of the season.
Manchester United are firmly in the race for Champions League qualification after a huge upturn in fortunes under new manager Michael Carrick, who has been tasked with steadying the ship until the end of the season.
They are unbeaten in five matches - winning four, including notable victories over title challengers Arsenal and Manchester City. The Red Devils also have no European football to contend with unlike almost all of the other teams around them, while they are also out of both domestic cups, making the Premier League the sole focus.
United are operating with a much smaller squad than they have historically had for this season, but a return to Europe, be that the Champions League or even Europa League, will immediately lead to a minimum of eight extra fixtures, potentially more depending on performances.
This means United are likely to need another excellent midfielder, particularly as they face up to the reality of life without Casemiro, with the Brazilian playing like a man reborn in recent weeks.
Manchester United could target former Ruben Amorim favourite
When the Red Devils appointed Ruben Amorim in November 2024, the club were linked with just about every in-form Sporting CP player possible due to the link back to their Portuguese coach.
However, links with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres (who moved to Arsenal), Ousamane Diomande, Geovany Quenda and Pedro Gonçalves all never materialised.
Now, United are linked with a Sporting star once again in the form of Morten Hjulmand, with Spanish outlet A Bola already claiming that the player’s departure is inevitable amid speculation linking him with a move to either Man Utd or Spurs.
This aligns with reporting from Record, which adds that Hjulmand and Sporting president Frederico Varandas reached an internal agreement over his exit earlier this season.
Why Hjulmand could be a good fit for Man Utd
United have been in the market for a certain type of midfielder for a number of months. Over the summer, their interest in Brighton star Carlos Baleba dominated the headlines, while further reports have also speculated that the team could target Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.
United were priced out of a move for Baleba due to Brighton’s reported valuation which exceeded £100m in the summer. Meanwhile, with Wharton it’s been claimed by Guardian Sport that the up-and-coming England international could cost as much as £80m.
Signing a defensive midfielder is likely to be central to United’s hopes of reestablishing themselves as a top club. It’s the kind of profile the team needed anyway to supplement an ageing Casemiro - and is now an even more important priority after the Brazilian’s decision to see out his contract and leave in the summer.
However, it’s not going to be the only position United look to improve if they are back in Europe with a lot of areas needing further quality to get them through the sheer volume of fixtures they are likely to face.
Therefore, Hjulmand could be a target that makes sense. Reports state he’s valued at around £36m, which seems a fairly reasonable asking price for a player with 25 international caps for Denmark, 26 appearances at Europa League and Champions League level combined, two Portuguese league titles, a Portuguese cup and two appearances in the Team of the Year.
Hjulmand may not quite have the hype about him as the two young Premier League stars, and aged 26, he’s also slightly older than the names mentioned. But it’s also important to factor in that he’s the captain of Sporting and someone that’s known to be an excellent leader in the dressing room, which is something United have been criticised for not having enough of in the past.
Hjulmand could prove a really sensible addition if signed based on his CV so far and United’s need for that type of profile to aid them in their rise back to the upper echelons of the Premier League and Europe.