Former Sporting boss reveals Morten Hjulmand already thinking of leaving | OneFootball

Morten Hjulmand is one of the true pillars of the Sporting team; however, his start to the season has been a topic of conversation, though not always for the best reasons. Luís Martins, former coach of Sporting’s youth teams, scrutinized the captain’s performances.

"I think Hjulmand is one of the players performing below expectations. He’s more discreet because he’s taking on his role as a defensive midfielder and participating less in the attack. He’s getting forward less and has less responsibility and involvement in the team’s offensive moments," he began, in statements to the newspaper A Bola.

"I also think it’s a matter of performance details, focus, motivation. And so, perhaps if Sporting loses a player like this, who in my opinion is already thinking about leaving, it’s not the end of the world," emphasized Luís Martins.

Furthermore, the former Sporting coach reflected on the Danish international’s positional teammates, João Simões and Hidemasa Morita: "What Hjulmand lacks is, let’s say, a crutch—a regular midfield partner, and right now that’s more João Simões than anyone else, but he’s not yet a fully developed player who can fill the gap left by Hjulmand’s participation in the game. So, he even takes fewer risks."

This season, wearing the Sporting shirt, Morten Hjulmand – valued at 50 million euros – has played in 17 matches: 11 in Liga Portugal Betclic, four in the Champions League, one in the Portuguese Cup, and another in the Super Cup. In the 1,540 minutes he’s been on the pitch, the Lions’ captain has scored two goals and provided one assist.

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