Sergi Altimira shuts out Hjulmand, leads Sporting on and off pitch | OneFootball

Sergi Altimira arrived at Sporting with the responsibility of succeeding Morten Hjulmand in midfield, but his adaptation has been quick. The Spaniard has played every minute in the first four league matches, has already scored, and has been taking on an increasingly important role on and off the pitch.

According to Record, the 25-year-old midfielder is already one of the leading voices in the dressing room and has been living up to the challenge set by Rui Borges even before the official start of the season. The coach asked him for a more “knife-between-the-teeth” version of himself, especially physically, and Altimira has delivered.

The numbers help explain his impact. The former Betis player leads the league in ball recoveries, with 32, and also ranks among the players with the most touches and most duels won. At Sporting, he is the player who contests and wins the most duels, completes the most accurate passes, recovers the most balls, and delivers the most effective passes into the final third.

His partnership with Issa Doumbia has also been taking shape. In the 4-0 win over Rio Ave, Altimira took up deeper positions and more responsibility in build-up play, while his teammate appeared in more advanced areas, in a balance Rui Borges has been working on since pre-season.

Signed from Betis for a fixed fee of €18.25 million, plus €2 million in add-ons, Altimira is already beginning to justify Sporting’s investment. He is under contract until 2031, has an €80 million release clause, and is now preparing to take another major step, with his Sporting debut in the Champions League drawing ever closer.

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