Manager responds to Man Utd interest in €80m midfielder: ‘As for United…’

Ruben Amorim’s successor at Sporting CP, Rui Borges, has responded to Manchester United‘s interest in captain Morten Hjulmand.

The Red Devils will be in the market for at least one new midfielder in 2026 and have drawn up a long list of potential targets. Brighton youngster Carlos Baleba is still believed to be Amorim’s preferred option, but he is likely to command a fee north of €100 million.

Cheaper alternatives are therefore being explored, and Sporting CP captain Hjulmand is once again being associated with a move to Old Trafford. Amorim previously hailed his former protégé as being a more complete midfielder than his predecessors Manuel Ugarte and Joao Palhinha.

Man Utd already held a tentative interest in the Denmark international in the summer, but Sporting were unwilling to lose another key player after Viktor Gyokeres and pointed to his €80 million release clause.

Naturally, Man Utd were reluctant to pay that much, given that they had already spent €250m on new attackers despite operating on a limited budget. The Red Devils are now said to be confident that they could land Hjulmand in 2026 on a cut-price deal.

Borges responds to Hjulmand’s Man Utd links

It has been claimed that Man Utd are optimistic that they could get Sporting to accept less than €60m for their captain in January, despite his importance to the Portuguese giants.

Hjulmand would have been open to a move to Old Trafford in the summer, which could work in Man Utd’s favour in the next transfer window. However, Sporting boss Rui Borges insists that he is not giving any thought to January business in October.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Sporting’s clash with Marseille, the Portuguese was bombarded with queries and jokingly responded: “A lot of questions! Hjulmand is Hjulmand. Our leader, captain.

“He won’t always be at his best, but he’s always important. He demands a lot of himself and of his teammates every day. As for United, it’s October, and I’m focused on Marseille.”

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