Frederico Varandas keeps key player at Sporting this window, find out more | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid expressed interest in strengthening their squad by signing Morten Hjulmand from Sporting, but Frederico Varandas immediately rejected this possibility, considering the importance of the Danish midfielder to the team and the commitments the Lions still have this season, reveals the newspaper O Jogo.

It is also known that Hjulmand aspires to take a new direction in his career, seeking to play in a more competitive league and represent a club with greater financial capacity than Sporting, which would also allow him to secure a contract superior to the current one - a scenario that would fit with the colchoneros. This context was the reason for his absence in the match against Nacional, in the last round of the championship.

Last summer, the Danish international was the subject of interest from several European clubs, but ended up staying at Alvalade after reaching an understanding with Frederico Varandas. It was then agreed that Hjulmand would continue to lead the Lions' midfield until the end of the current season, with his situation to be reassessed in the next transfer window.

The player has a contract with Sporting until 2028 and a release clause set at 80 million euros. Nevertheless, the Club President is open to negotiating a potential departure for amounts around 40 million euros, a sum that Atlético de Madrid could, in theory, reach.

Unable to secure the signing of Hjulmand, the Spanish club turned their attention to Rodrigo Mendoza, a 20-year-old midfielder from Elche, one of the revelations of LaLiga. The colchoneros paid 16 million euros for the player, in what became the main internal market operation in Spain.

This season, wearing the Sporting jersey, Morten Hjulmand – valued at 50 million euros – participated in 28 matches: 17 in Liga Portugal Betclic, seven in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, one in the League Cup, and another in the Super Cup. In the 2,522 minutes he was on the field, the Lions' captain scored two goals and made three assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.