It was obvious that Ruben Amorim wanted INEOS to sign Carlos Baleba, but after spending so much money on three attackers, the Red Devils had little chance of matching Brighton’s asking price.
Other options were later investigated, however Angelo Stiller of VfB Stuttgart declined a transfer to Old Trafford, and Atletico Madrid refused to approve Conor Gallagher’s loan departure.
While Sporting CP declined to let Morten Hjulmand to rejoin Amorim because they would be lacking in quality, Chelsea did not consider the prospect of Romeo Lavia leaving the team.
Hjulmand chase
The Dane ended up staying but not for long, as per A Bola. They have claimed that the club captain agreed to stay this summer but will be leaving in 2026.
“Morten Hjulmand is preparing to play his final season with the Lions on his chest. He will be one of the Lions’ big sales next summer.”
“The Dane, who was signed from Lecce in the summer of 2023 for €18 million, has now agreed to stay, with his departure postponed for a year.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas thanked the midfielder for staying put despite interest from Italy and United, and indicated that a separation was coming very soon.
Leaving next year
“Morten was set to leave for Italy, and I have to give him credit, because our captain turned down several offers to earn three times as much and, after talking to the board, agreed to stay for over a year,” revealed Varandas, after the midfielder was targeted by Juventus and Inter, as well as United.
This summer, Morten Hjulmand had a release clause of €80 million, but it has since expired. He will undoubtedly be less expensive than Baleba.
A midfield player is undoubtedly on the agenda in January as the 20-time English league champions are ready to shatter the British transfer record for the Cameroonian.
There might be less room for the Sporting captain if INEOS signs a player like Ruben Neves in January. It will be interesting to observe if the Dane’s physicality problems cause him to fall behind.
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