Sporting Lisbon are unlikely to sell Manchester United target Morten Hjulmand for anything less than his buyout clause, according to the Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness).
The Portuguese newspaper says that Sporting’s head coach Ruben Amorim has told his board he does not want the Denmark international sold this summer.
That means that, if the Red Devils do make an approach for Hjulmund over the coming weeks, they may have to pay as much as €80m (£67m) to secure his services.
Considering Sporting paid Lecce only €18m (£15m) for the 25-year-old last summer, that would be a huge mark-up in the space of a single year.
Why are United interested in Hjulmand?
There are doubts over the futures of both Casemiro and Scott McTominay. The former is believed to have interest from Saudi Arabia, while the latter is known to be a target for Fulham.
After it was confirmed that the Red Devils would not sign Sofyan Amrabat on a permanent basis, manager Erik ten Hag could end up with no recognised holding midfielder in his squad.
Recruiting someone like Hjulmand is, therefore, a top priority for the club before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
What is the situation with Ugarte?
Hjulmand is believed to be one of the alternatives that United are considering if they can’t find a breakthrough in talks with Paris Saint-Germain for Manuel Ugarte.
Personal terms have already been agreed with the Uruguayan international but PSG are demanding €70m (£59m) for the player, which has led to negotiations stalling.
United are hoping that this figure will be lowered as they know Ugarte is not part of the Ligue One club’s first-team plans. In the meantime, though, they have been exploring alternatives, but it looks like a deal for Hjulmand is also too expensive.
