Hugo Viana and Ruben Amorim set for January battle for €80M Sporting star | OneFootball

Manchester City are in the race to sign Sporting and Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand in the January 2026 transfer window, as per reports from Portugal.

City are six points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal and questions have been raised over Pep Guardiola’s over-reliance on Erling Haaland to provide the goods in front of goal this season.

The Blues underwent a significant squad revamp in the recent transfer window following the appointment of Hugo Viana as director of football, with notable figures such as Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Ederson and Ilkay Gundogan leaving the club.

Guardiola and co added seven new signings to their first-team squad in the summer and are vying for major trophies after a disappointing 2024-25 season – wherein City finished trophyless and recorded their lowest Premier League points tally (71) under the Catalan.

After making a stuttering start to their season, Manchester City have gotten their act together and have slowly clawed their way back into the title conversation, with Haaland’s goals the main driving force behind the Blues’ title charge.

However, City could need reinforcements in January as goals have dried up from midfield and the wide attacking positions for the eight-time Premier League champions, who cannot keep pinning the entirety of their hopes on Haaland as the season progresses.

Meanwhile, the injury troubles of Rodri could force Manchester City’s hand to enter the January window and strengthen their options in the defensive midfield areas, with Nico Gonzalez in his first full season at the Etihad Stadium.

Mateo Kovacic brings in a wealth of experience but is past his prime and was found out at times last season owing to his inability to track back and deal with counter attacks – a key Achilles’ heel underpinning Manchester City’s defensive frailties since last season.

Record in Portugal are reporting that Manchester City are battling local rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Sporting and Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who is under contract at the José Alvalade Stadium till the summer of 2028, as relayed by Sport Witness.

City and United are reported to have expressed an interest in the 26-year-old in the summer transfer window but Hjulmand decided to stay put and progress his development in Portugal, where his performances have continued to attract some of Europe’s best clubs ahead of the January 2026 window.

Viana, who previously served as Sporting’s director of football, has strong links in Portugal and could be crucial in the acquisition of the Denmark international, should Manchester City formalise their interest in the midfielder, who is reported to have a €80 million release clause in his Sporting contract.

Manchester City are expected to be nowhere near as active in the January window as they were in the summer but should an opportunity that is deemed too good to turn down present itself – as with Gianluigi Donnarumma in the final weeks of the summer transfer window – the Blues will look to enter the market and assess a potential move.