Sporting Lisbon may be softening stance on Manchester United target Morten Hjulmand’s release clause | OneFootball

Inter Milan are interested in signing Manchester United target Morten Hjulmand from Sporting Lisbon.

The Red Devils are keen to bolster their midfield options for the coming season with Adrien Rabiot and Manuel Ugarte being two of the most recent names linked to the club.

There were rumours earlier in the summer that the club was interested in Dane Hjulmand but that they would not pay the release clause of €80 million that Sporting were demanding, despite the player’s interest in playing in the Premier League in the future.

Nonetheless, reports from Portuguese paper Correio da Manha are a little more hopeful for United or any club chasing the player currently on international duty at Euro 2024.

It is stated that “Inter Milan have entered the race for midfielder Hjulmand and even believe they can sign the Dane at a bargain price, that is, below the release clause of 80 million euros.”

“The Nerazzurri intensified their observations of Hjulmand during Euro 2024 and are impressed.” They like “the evolution shown by the player who transferred from Lecce to the Alvalade at the beginning of last season. The drive, determination and the goal he scored against England whetted the Italians’ appetite even more.”

“They are not willing to pay the 80 million euro release clause, but they accept paying half and are open to loaning players.”

Hjulmand has a contract until 2028 and a massive release clause should Sporting truly not want to lose the midfielder.

In spite of this, if Inter do make any progress on a deal below the release clause valuation, United and a clutch of top teams across the continent will surely be watching with much interest, ready to strike.

If the Portuguese side are in fact open to something like a €40 million fee plus player exchanges, the price would be much more affordable for Erik ten Hag’s side.

What’s more, United have players such Christian Eriksen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof that they would surely be happy to include in any swap deal should the players involved give the green light and Sporting could provide an ideal venue for loaning breakthrough academy stars.

Hjulmand has been described as “a defensively intelligent midfielder who reads the game to a high level, he has great anticipation which allows him to read the opposition’s next attacking moves” and he is “capable of playing the defensive midfielder role to perfection”.

Therefore, the 25 year old would seem the perfect replacement for Casemiro and his desire to play in England would only work in the Red Devils’ favour should they receive any encouragement from Sporting that their stance is softening. The prospect of playing alongside his hero Bruno Fernandes is also a big advantage that United could exploit.

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