Sporting have already found a replacement for Hidemasa Morita’s exit | OneFootball

Sporting’s midfield is expected to undergo a major overhaul in the 2026/27 season, in a process that has been in preparation for several months by the club’s management. The likely departure of two of the sector’s main figures in recent seasons is at stake.

Hidemasa Morita is at the end of his contract and is set to leave Alvalade four years after his arrival, while Morten Hjulmand, team captain and one of the squad’s most valuable assets, is well positioned to be at the center of one of the main transfers of the upcoming summer window.

Faced with this scenario, Sporting is preparing a significant intervention in the market, with the intention of signing at least two midfielders: one more positional player for the ‘6’ role, to fill the potential departure of the Danish international, and another for the ‘8’ position, balancing the sector after the departure of the Japanese international.

The squad still includes Giorgi Kochorashvili, a signing from Levante who is still adapting, and João Simões, a product of the Alcochete academy who could gain greater prominence in the short term. At the same time, there is an internal solution that has been gaining traction: Daniel Bragança. The 26-year-old midfielder is being regularly worked into the number 8 position, in a move aimed at anticipating Morita’s departure.

The versatility of the ‘number 23’ is particularly valued by Rui Borges, who considers him a valid option both for interior midfield roles and for more advanced areas, between the 8 and 10 positions. Since returning to action after a long injury layoff, Bragança has been used in central positions, sometimes performing tasks similar to Francisco Trincão’s in interior areas, but is also starting to be prepared to play in a deeper midfield role.

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