Arsenal make new approach for fiery £52m captain but Man Utd ‘lead race’ | OneFootball

Arsenal have once again made contact for Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, according to a report, but the Gunners have been warned he is more likely to join Manchester United or Liverpool this summer.

Hjulmand, Sporting’s captain, has made 43 appearances for the Portuguese giants this season, chipping in with two goals and six assists. The midfielder has established himself as one of the Primeira Liga’s best players, as he is a tenacious and fiery No 6 who excels in duels.

Indeed, he regularly features in the 95th percentile for tackles won by midfielders across Europe.

Hjulmand picked up interest last summer but agreed to stay at Sporting for one more season before securing a major transfer in 2026.

CaughtOffside claim Arsenal ‘asked about’ Hjulmand after beating Sporting in the Champions League quarter-finals. Mikel Arteta’s side are also interested in his Sporting team-mates Ivan Fresneda and Ousmane Diomande, the report adds.

Hjulmand’s deal includes an €80million (£70m) exit clause, but Sporting are willing to sanction his exit for €60m (£52m) this summer.

A source is quoted as saying: “Arsenal were in touch recently, Man Utd are also asking to be kept informed.

“Sporting have given clubs the signal – he has an €80m release clause, but start negotiations at around €60m and there’s a chance he can go.

“This is their model, and has been for a long time. They know this is a chance to make significant profit on the player, and he’ll be keen to make the step up to a higher level as well.”

However, the same source revealed in April that Man Utd and Liverpool are the two Premier League clubs ‘leading the race’ for Hjulmand.

This means Arsenal know exactly who they need to beat to snare the Denmark international.

Hjulmand could replace Norgaard at Arsenal

The Gunners will likely have identified Hjulmand as a replacement for Christian Norgaard. The latter only arrived at the Emirates last summer but is expected to make a swift exit when the transfer window opens.

CaughtOffside’s latest report adds that Manchester City are also in the mix for Hjulmand.

The 26-year-old’s future is seemingly tied to that of Nottingham Forest maestro Elliot Anderson.

For example, if City miss out on Anderson to United – which would be a surprise at this stage – then Pep Guardiola’s side would enter talks for Hjulmand.

For United, Hjulmand is seen as a second, cheaper midfield capture after they make a statement signing first.

The Red Devils are keen on Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, while they are also gauging whether Real Madrid might be willing to sell Aurelien Tchouameni or Federico Valverde.