Manchester United lead race for Morten Hjulmand after City prioritise Elliot Anderson | OneFootball

Manchester United have leapfrogged rivals Manchester City in the pursuit of signing Sporting star Morten Hjulmand, who is pushing for a move to the Premier League.

The midfielder has openly admitted he is ready for a move to the English top-flight having spent the last three seasons in Portugal and is ready for a new challenge, picking up 137 appearances in total for the club and missing only a handful of matches this season.

Manchester City were reportedly interested in bringing the Denmark international to the Etihad Stadium last summer and have since kept an eye on his progress, but are now prioritising the £100+ million signing of Elliot Anderson.

Man United pounce on Man City’s altered transfer stance

As a result, Manchester United are leading the race to land the Dane and are in the market for a midfielder with Casemiro’s departure imminent. It is expected they will give Hjulmand the chance he has been waiting for – that according to Football Insider.

Casemiro – after United confirmed his departure for this summer in January – has enjoyed a resurgent spell under interim boss Michael Carrick, who has thrust the club into a confident third-place position in the Premier League table, level on points with Aston Villa. 

However, the 34-year-old Brazilian hasn’t convinced the club hierarchy to trigger an extension clause in his contract and, subsequently, the Red Devils are being forced to look for a new midfield option. 

Why do Man United need Morten Hjulmand?

For now, United still have Casemiro at their disposal but when he leaves it will only be Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte to cover the deep and central midfield roles – a lack of depth that, if they are to make Champions League qualification, could cause significant concerns.

This season, Morten Hjulmand has put more creativity on the table for Sporting than Casemiro has at Manchester United but arguably lacks in defensive contribution, averaging slightly less tackles and duels won per 90 minutes. 

That comes down to the fact Casemiro has operated at the base of the midfield in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 set-up, and while Hjulmand was a key figure in Sporting’s recent Champions League run, he will need to work on defensive attributes if he is to cover that position for the Red Devils.

Why Manchester City need to recruit in midfield

Pep Guardiola’s side, on the other hand, are striving for the signature of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, who has been the subject of interest from the Citizens for a long time now. 

That interest has only intensified after Bernardo Silva announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season after nine successful and historic years, handing over the captaincy to a new name from next season following the expiry of his existing contractual agreement.