Man City move ahead of Manchester United for €50m star

Man City move ahead of Manchester United for €50m star

Manchester City have moved ahead of Manchester United in pursuit of Sporting Lisbon star Morten Hjulmand.

According to A Bola, City have made informal contact with Sporting over a summer move for the 26-year-old.

This is a blow for United, who have also been linked with an interest in the Denmark international.

The Red Devils are in the market for a quality midfielder, with Casemiro leaving the club at the end of the campaign.

Manuel Ugarte also faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford, with Juventus in the hunt for the 25-year-old.

City are currently leading the transfer race, as sporting director Hugo Viana knows the player well.

He was responsible for bringing Hjulmand to Sporting in 2023 during his time in Lisbon.

The defensive midfielder has an €80 million release clause in his contract, but the Portuguese club are willing to accept a fee around €40 to €50m.

Hjulmand has been a key first-team member for Sporting, scoring nine goals and creating 12 assists in 135 appearances across all competitions.

This season, he has made six direct goal contributions in 24 Primeira Liga games, averaging 6.1 ball recoveries, 2.1 tackles and 1.0 clearances.

Hjulmand is a tenacious midfielder who is praised for his defensive intelligence and leadership qualities. His strengths are his passing, tackling and duel success rate.

Many top players have struggled when they made the transition to the Premier League, but he looks to have all the qualities to be a success in the English top-flight.

Stats from Transfermarkt & Sofascore